How to wear yerself out: Tuesday, 6th September, 2016.

1:45-ish:

There's no sun today but it is really cowin' humid. Horrible.

We've walked along the river in to town and had some lunch before doing a quick food shop at M&S (where we linger to enjoy the cold air around it's fridges) and now we're on the way home.

We did consider getting a taxi but, hey, we wanted to do 10,000+ steps today so we've trudged along at a pretty slow pace to get here (Gheluvelt Park).

There's only one pick-me-up that can work on a day like this - a Magnum ice-lol!

As we arrive home the Fit Bit buzzes and confirms 10,000 steps. Can't say we're elated.

3:15-ish:

David has had a rest. Vicky hasn't and has made good progress with a first coat of emulsion.

David makes a cuppa tea and takes a photo.

4:00-ish:

Get up the step ladder Dave and get taping and filling-in.

OK Vic.

5:00-ish:

Highly skilled painter gets right into the edges.

The humidity is diabolical - even with all windows open there is absolutely no air let alone fresh air.

We finally finish at 5:40.

We'll do the second coat next week.

Again, whose idea was it to decorate?

Here we go again: Monday, 5th September, 2016.

If it's Monday afternoon it must be yet more sugar-soaping.

Remind me, who's idea was it to re-decorate the kitchen?

British MotoGP, Silverstone, Saturday, 3rd August, 2016.

9:50am-ish:

Given the diabolical weather forecast we've left home early and arrived early to try to get a little bit of dry weather before the rain predicted for this afternoon sets in. It has rained a touch on the way - which wasn't predicted - but its nice and dry now and quite warm-ish.

Indicative of the times we now live in there's a bag search at the entrance.

Then we buy a programme and get walking purposefully to the top end of The Wellington Straight to get some shots of riders going from left to right.

10:15-ish:

The MotoGP 'bikes are on track for their final pre-qualifying practice session.

This is Yonny Hernandez (Ducati) amply illustrating that you don't have to ride a 'bike in a straight line to go in a straight line down a straight.

10:30-ish:

The canny Victoria had nipped off ten minutes before the practice session ends to beat the rush and get the teas in. It's not a moment too soon 'cos we haven't had a drink since we left home at 8:45.

Note Vicky's Cool Box: we've got some very welcome buttery cold granary toast in there: 

just the job to keep us going.

10:40-ish:

Riders gather at the end of the session for the ritual of The Practice Start.

Danilo Petrucci (Ducati), Tito Rabat (Honda), and Andrea Iannone (Ducati) 

are the chaps doing the honours.

Not one to show off.

Scott Redding (Ducati) arrives.

11:00-ish:

The Moto2's are now on track for their final practice session.

This is Sam Lowes, at Maggots, who we hope will finish up on Pole once 

qualification takes place this afternoon.

11:15-ish:

Hunger is setting in now and so we decide to walk up to Copse Corner 

where we know there will be food outlets.

Even better, it gives Vicky a chance to take loads of photos of her beloved trucks on the way.

We really must go to a Truck Race Meeting at some point. Maybe next year?

David is instructed to 'look manly, like a trucker'.

He fails.

11:35-ish:

Johann Zarco at Copse.

Best helmet design in any class? You betcha.

11:45-ish:

The Lunch Break is quite early today and very welcome.

As is the traditional Cheese Burger and Chips for Mr Gannet. It's all washed down with a cuppa tea.

Vicky manages a couple of small mouthfuls of burger and one or two chips. 

Given that she was in bed all day yesterday with a tummy virus, and ate nowt for the duration, 

this is a veritable feast. 

It's starting to drizzle now. You know, that rain that gets you really wet. 

12:20-ish:

It's raining harder now and we seek refuge in the nearest grandstand at Copse.

Unfortunately, it's a 'Rossi Fan Stand'.

Oh well, beggars can't be choosers.

Vicky is very pleased to be in 'The Rossi Fan Stand'.

12:40-ish:

The Moto3 Qualifying has started and riders are gingerly slithering through Copse.

Hmmm, this could be interesting.

12:50-ish:

Yep, it had to happen.

Adam Norrodin (KTM) is the fella doing the honours here.

1:10pm-ish:

No, I'll be alright, you carry on without me.

Khairul Idham Pawi (Honda) slides gracefully over the run-off.

1:15-ish:

The session ends and we all get a chance to gawp at Mr Adham Pawi's….ahem…..lightly damaged Honda awaiting collection.

1:35-ish:

We've taken a swift walk in the rain from Copse to the 'far side' of The Wellington Straight 

to watch the MotoGP Qualifying.

'I'll have a 'P' please Bob!'

Danny Pedrosa (Honda) and Danilo Petrucci (Ducati) exit Aintree and set their sights on Brooklands.

Note Ice Cream Van in background. Not much call for that today.

2:00pm-ish:

Man Of The Moment:

Having won at Brno, Cal Crutchlow (Honda) only goes and sticks it on Pole!

Blimey.

2:25pm-ish:

The MotoGP Qualifying Session lasts for an hour and twenty minutes. 

That's a long time when it's raining quite hard and we're out in the open. 

So we wander over to The Tented Village to a) get out of the rain and b) to gawp at the the 'bikes taking part in The Barry Sheene Parade later on.

Can't remember which of Bazza's 500cc WC-winning 'bikes this is 

but it's cowin' marvellous and that's the main thing.

A Dutch-fella has brought a display of his Barry Sheene memorabilia over to Silverstone.

We add our messages to the 'signing wall'. It's a truly emotional moment.

Sound of David's creaking knees not available, thankfully, on this blog.

2:45-ish:

Just 'cos I'm paranoid doesn't mean that folk aren't creeping up on me:

Tito Rabat (Honda) keeps a watchful eye out.

2:50-ish:

Not as fast as Cal.

Valentino Rossi (you may have heard of him) - Yamaha - has to settle for second on the grid.

We are gutted for him.

This could be painful.

Right at the end of the session Andrea Dovizioso parts company 

with his Ducati at the exit of Aintree………

……..and takes quite a while to get back to his feet with the help of the marshals.

With the MotoGP session over it's time to head for the exits via one last cuppa tea and a chicken and mushroom pasty at one of the infield food outlets.

3:15-ish:

Vicky spotted this abandoned bird's nest, complete with egg, under the bridge as we walked in this morning. But we were in too much of a rush to stop and take a photo then - 

so we take one now instead.

3:20-ish:

Back in the car park, loaded up and ready to go. 

We have done over 10,000 steps and walked just over 4 miles. 

That's below average for us when it comes to a day out at Silverstone. 

Rain tends to focus one, and so we've done less 'wandering'.

And yes, it's still raining.

We are home safe and sound by 4:45pm-ish, knackered and ready to wind down.

Roll on next year!

Visiting Auntie Louise, Erdington, Bank Holiday Monday, 29th August, 2016.

12:00-ish.

Proudly wearing the winter cardigan that Auntie Louise, aged 92, 

has knitted over the last 10 days for Vicky.

But much too warm for today!

1:15-ish.

One of the great things about visiting Auntie Louise is that we get to eat real food.

As someone who lived and fought through a war she has no truck with the cowin' Food Police.

So, for Vicky and Auntie Louise, it's salmon sammidges on plain white bread with proper butter and a few home-grown tomatoes, with micro-waved chips on the side (the latter not available during the war).

For David it's the same but with full-fat cheese not salmon.

Scrummy.

The view from Vicky's chair of the back garden.

An oasis of calm in a busy residential area.

2:00pm-ish.

After watering the tomatoes in the green house it's off on a short confidence-boosting trip with Auntie Louise in her new Mobility Scooter which was donated by The British Legion in recognition of her war service.

David, encouraging her to get her knee down on the corners, thankfully, just out of shot.

4:45-ish.

Back in Worcester we continue to taunt The Food Police by walking to the river via the local garage where we purchase two Magnums. Vicky has Double Caramel, David has Peanut Butter.

Again: yummee!

It's very warm and humid again. So, in order to keep one's strength up as buzzards looking for any signs of weakness in folk below circle overhead, a decaf tea from The Pumphouse is in order.

As we walk home the Food Police sirens are still wailing loudly and 

so we vow to return to eating healthily from now on.

Back home at 5:30 we finish off painting the last bit of skirting board on the end wall of the kitchen and then (now we don't have Auntie Louise to protect us) David has a very small portion of chicken and veg stir fry (not one carbohydrate in sight) whilst Vicky has half an apple with a small lump of low-fat cheese.

Now, where's the fun in that?

Another day, another coat: Sunday, 28th August, 2016.

9:30am-ish.

Tall person applying edging coat to the upper half of the wall.

Less-tall person applying edging coat to the lower half of the wall.

Less-tall person applying edging coat to the opposite lower corner of the wall.

Good, eh?

Tall person up the ladder and using a roller to finish off the upper half of the wall.

Wall finished by 10:00am-ish.

Not bad going, but it may need another coat yet. We have time to do that today if we need to.

Then it's just the wall around the kitchen window to do.

That's gonna be the trickiest by far. It will involve taking a blind down. 

Could see a lot of general grumpyness breaking out.

We'll be having a go at that next Monday/Tuesday, all being well.

Not exactly looking forward to it.

4:15pm-ish.
We've watched the Belgian F1 GP and had a nice sleep during the middle bit (it's hard to stay awake during F1) and, stepping outside, we find that it is warm and humid (boo!).
This cloud above Northwick Ave is almost but not quite an 'anvil'. Still nice tho'.

Strange river craft chugs along the river at a rapid rate of knots.

Moth, trying to avoid walkers (Vicky), cyclists, and amateur photographers,
scuttles along on its Sunday afternoon constitutional.

Nice bit of back-lighting.
Can't beat it.

Triumph Bonneville (750cc) we presume.
However, it is very petite.
Much smaller than we remember them back in the '70's.
More like the size of a 350.

Another day, another wall: Saturday, 27th August, 2016.

11:00am-ish.

The wall was sugar-soaped last Tuesday so now it's time to apply the masking tape to what will be the kitchen's 'Feature Wall'.

Except there's gonna be two 'Feature Walls'. One at each end.

Not sure what the walls should be called then - 'contrast walls'? Dunno. 'cos the other two walls could also be called 'contrast walls' couldn't they?

It's all very complicated and Vicky's the one with a subscription to Ideal Home magazine and she doesn't know either.

Gerrup that ladder and gerrin the corners, Dave.

OK Vic. I'm on it.

Vicky's brush work is so fast we've had to use flash to capture it!

First coat of emulsion completed by 12:00-ish.

Time for lunch.

Decorating and a new walk: Sat/Sun 20th/21st August, 2016.

Saturday afternoon.

The sugar soaping in the kitchen is all done and now it's time for the first coat of emulsion.

Saturday afternoon II:

Time for the mini-roller.

Sunday morning:

Highly skilled detailing.

Sunday morning II:

Splendid aerial action shot of the second coat of emulsion being expertly applied.

Gotta finish by 1:00pm and the start of the Czech Republic Moto GP round from Brno.

We predict that Cal Crutchlow is gonna pull off a surprising and historic victory on the drying track.

It'll be the first time that a British rider has won a GP since Barry Sheene won in Sweden in 1981.

A 35 year wait. It's gonna get emotional!

Sunday 4:00pm-ish:

We've recovered from Cal's brilliant victory, and have rested after doing the emulsion in record time, so now it's time for a walk. Can't go to the racecourse today 'cos that Ray Smeeting-fella is using it, so we're going to investigate the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.

This is the view from Bilford Road where we start our canal walk.

 Facing south but heading north.

Mother duck and her ducklings corner us and ask the traditional question:

'Got any bread?'

A few yards further on and our new friends are still bullying us.

We promise them we'll bring bread next time 

(despite all the RSPB advice - they know nowt, ducks love bread!).

This land will be the site for a new sports complex at Perdiswell.

If Worcester City FC ever get the planning permission or the finance, this is where they will build their new ground (they have to play at Bromsgrove at the mo').

Note the Malvern Hills lurking under the low cloud in the far distance.

Heading back towards Droitwich Road and home.

It's been a nice walk. We'll be doing it again one feels.