22nd to 28th October

Monday, 22nd

Upton House near Banbury

TUesday, 23rd
The plan was to get to a meeting in Trowbridge, but severe traffic meant I had to duck out of the jam and hide in the Donnington Valley Hotel, whose restaurant I hid in. I also missed my second meeting.

Wednesday, 24th

Link-up offices at Mencap.

Thursday, 25th

A new doctor at the surgery when McBaby was suddenly not very well.

Friday, 26th
Stayed at home all day - new thing was something terrible like eating a new flavour of Granola.

Saturday, 27th
Again, another quiet day as the LO was still not feeling great and it was SO cold! New thing was something rubbish like buying a new flavour of Halloween themed crisps.

SUnday, 28th
now my turn to be ill - new thing was watching Simon Reeve's Indian Ocean programme on iplayer as I'd never seen it before.

15th October to 21st October

15th
The unthinkable has happened. I went into a MCDONALDS (for a McFlurry)

16th
House hunting

17th:
The upstairs of the Costa near Parkway

18th
The back of the garage where I took our car in for its service

19th
The whirlpool at the swimming pool!

20th
The Whitewall Gallery in town. One day I will buy something in here!

21st:
More house hunting :(

Vote for me!

My entry into the Guylian hearts competition; cue Titanic music......



www.guylian.com/en/enjoy-guylian/gallery-titanic-competition/design-details/id/140

If you vote for me, I will put you in my hall of fame :D

8th Oct to 14th Oct

Monday, 8th

The new Temptation shop in Newbury. Though "tempting", I didn't buy anything :(

Tuesday, 9th

A very, very brief visit to Dyrham Park near Bath, then a potential client's (now, a week later, a client!) house in Basingstoke.

Wednesday, 10th

Meeting a DJ and driving a new car around Aldershot.

Thursday, 11th

This isn't a good one, but I watched the WHOLE Modern Family series 3 that arrived today (thank goodness I ordered it when I had a bit more money!)

Friday, 12th

The McBaby's friend's house in Great Shefford and I popped into the shop in that village for some cake.

Saturday, 13th

A car wash at the fire station (although I have actually been here before, now I think about it). OK, what else? The stage at the Sutton Hall in Stockcross where a jumble sale was going on and the front was the only bit of safety. Even the McBaby got an elbow in the face.

Sunday, 14th:

We went for a walk, taking in new roads around Speen and also viewed a property by climbing a wall and peeking in a window at the back (to find the ceiling had collapsed = perhaps we won't be buying this one).

1st to 7th October

MOnday, 1st:

A very, very interesting day for all kinds of reasons, mostly test driving Renault's electric Twizy which was so much fun I can't even tell you. Not only did I have a massive smile on my face, but everyone who saw me did too.

We then test drove the Dacia Duster which is a great bit of kit. No frills, but solid and nice to drive. Unremarkable and quite anonymous really (which is just what I like), but great value for money at just £8995. Stopped off at Bicester Village and tested my impulse to shop - no, it's totally gone!

Tuesday, 2nd:

Went to Enborne to meet a potential freelance client at her beautiful house. Except I gave her all of my good ideas and I don't think she is going to be a client!

Wednesday, 3rd:

A long, long drive to Lowestoft where I visited the local Asda. Hmmm. Was quite disappointed to say that was my new thing, so drove back via the beautiful town of Beccles.

Thursday, 4th: A

Sometimes you go somewhere so lovely, that you stop and think to yourself: "WHy do I live where I live?" This was one of those times. We had a fabulous meal at the Park at Mawgan Porth, which is a contemporary camping and caravan park. If MrM had been with me, he would have said; "why don't we open something like this?" He wasn't though.

Friday, 5th: Lanhydrock. What a beautiful place, and that's without even venturing into the house. It was just me, McBaby, and McNephew leaving a trail of destruction, so we didn't dare go in the house, sticking to the adventure playground (where I let McNephew get COVERED in mud), the cafe (via golf buggy) and the second hand bookshop. The staff cannot be praised highly enough for their patience with us!

Saturday, 6th: Didcot Railway Centre. Except we didn't go in because I struggled to pay £3.90 for parking. By the time I'd got the coins in (a good 20 minutes), the train ride had gone and McBaby was bored.

Sunday: Ramsbury for the Screaming Eagles WW2 re-enactment. Parked in a carpark I'd not noticed before and got talking to some of the participants. And to think I nearly didn't go because of the random apostrophe in "heroes" in the poster!

Things I've learned this week...

I have only just found 5 minutes to sit down with a cup of tea and LAST week's Saturday Guardian!

In it, I discovered that:

1. The man who invented the Pringles can went onto to have his ashes stored in one.

2. Albert Einstein worked in the patent office at the time that the Tombola packaging was approved and may have been the person who stamped it all through.

3. That when you draw up at the petrol pumps, you can tell which side of the car you fill from because that's the side on the little icon that has the pump on it!

24th to 30th Sept

Monday 24: Went to a new part of Newbury (Wash Common) to collect a table from freecycle. Unfortunately, I had done my measurements wrong so it was a wonder that this table fits in the house, let alone in my boot.

Tuesday 25: Met a client in a lovely village just outside Chippenham (before touring Chippenham itself). THEN - a bonus! Went to see the Levellers (yes, I've seen them before - just a few weeks ago, the latest time) but their support act! Man! Awesome!


www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM3KYWCx99E

Wednesday 26: An event at the Hilton in Pinchington Lane. I've been here before, but not to this particular function room and not for Vegetable Wellington!

Thursday 27: L'Occitane - the new shop in Parkway

Friday 28: Hungerford URC school room at the back for Macmillan coffee morning.

Saturday 29: The fantastically named "The Herbert" cafe for lunch with a couple of friends and their baby.

Sunday 30: The stage at New Greenham Arts for a vintage fair. I thought it was Liberty Ballroom (which really would have been a new thing, but alas, no)