Today I organised another event around my 60th. This time for old school friends.
Hawksmoor, this date, I’m paying → easiest sell ever 
Instant quorum, no quibbling.
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Driving a neighbour (he’s also a mate) to the Minor Injuries Unit in Abingdon and then collecting him again. He went over the handlebars on his off-road bike out in the countryside this morning. He managed to get back on (!) and coast downhill into the nearest village then called a cab to get himself and the bike home where he discovered a new ‘offset’ in his left collarbone. Displaced fracture, so he’s in a sling and booked to see Trauma, at the John Radcliffe in Oxford, next week.
Sore, I believe.
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Managing to obtain an anniversary card, be in the same county as said anniversary card, and then write said card when required.
Ahem, @mickbald
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I have today bought a birthday card for Jan for Saturday. I hid it and found the wedding anniversary card which I bought last year and forgot to give her.
So now I just need to check whether the anniversary is Monday or Wednesday and we’re rolling.
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I used the colander trick to watch the eclipse.
Never again, I think I strained my eyes.
On my way, tatty bye, coat already on and the doors thataway.
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Nursing my wounds after being pulled by our clown with no recall whilst off balance
May have to go to get an x-ray tomorrow - right wrist and thumb are very stiff. Updates may follow in the invalids thread…
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Village Ladies Book Club tonight.
Nothing to do with books, apparently.
Husbands were allowed this time as there was supposed to be an eclipse, and summat about
it being N’s last before she fucks off…
A great night was had, but the eclipse was a bit shit.
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My favourite bit of the eclipse was walking into town and seeing loads of crescent-shaped shadows from trees and the like.
We should have them more often
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Totally rubbish here, too. A slightly darker 20 minutes’ish was all. Major disappointment.
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It was very substantially darker here. Quite a few of us were out in the street (it pointed more or less directly at the sun as the moon’s coverage was getting bigger) so it was a chance to chat with the neighbours. At max the street was really pretty gloomy, yet there was the sun, still quite high in the sky and not at all obscured by cloud. There was obviously something ‘wrong’ about it.
A few of us had specs. More of us had pinhole cameras. Mine was somewhat OTT - 1.1m long including a 45cm x 30cm x 22cm viewing box. It gave a decent-sized bright image with, I reckon, a resolution of about 5% of the sun’s image diameter (i.e. nice and sharp).
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What were you expecting given that nowhere in the UK was going to be under the shadow?
The quality of the light here was remarkable and very different to the dusk as it came about 90 minutes later.
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Something significantly more awe inspiring than I witnessed. I certainly wouldn’t class it as a memorable event.
We enjoyed the event via improvised pinhole camera sitting by our field gate. Experience vastly improved by lack of effort involved.
My Mum’s estate was finally settled this week so it has allowed us to pay off the remainder of our mortgage and get a few goodies to boot - thanks Mum 
Now roll on 27th November and retirement - cannot fucking wait.
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That seems quite quick 
You and the wife, retirement buddies.
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She’s actually Monday 30th because civil service sticklers. We’re going to see Boy Harsher the night before and I believe she doesn’t give a flying fuck what state she’s in on the Monday.
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It was pretty straightforward in the end Guy - we just had to wait on the sale of her house going through on Tuesday and thankfully that went smoothly so all good.
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I started work with M&S on 26th November 2010 so it felt right to get it up them as near as dammit to that date.
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