The Anonymous Widower

I’ve Just Joined The Tate

I want to go to the Tate to see the exhibition called Lowry and the Painting of Modern Life.

To avoid the queues for this sort of exhibition, pre-booking is a good idea. But as I might want to go with someone, what day do I choose?

On checking the Tate website, I found that if I joined as a Member+Guest, it only cost me me thirty pounds more than joining for just myself. And you get to jump the queues!

So I did! So I only need to go to a few exhibitions with friends, often from outside London, to make the whole exercise extremely good value. As in the past, I’ve gone to several exhibitions at the Tate, with both C and friends, I doubt that the membership won’t be used profitably.

June 12, 2013 Posted by | World | , | Leave a comment

Will It Be Kangaroo Or Lamb Pie Tonight?

With Australia and New Zealand playing today in the  cricket, the question has to be asked!

With Australia at two for twelve, it looks like it’s veering t0wards kangaroo.

But because I have one in the fridge, it will actually be shepherd’s made from beef.

June 12, 2013 Posted by | Food, Sport | , , | Leave a comment

My Health Goes Up And Down

This has been a rather up and down week for how I feel.

On Monday, I had an echo-cardiogram and I think it went pretty well.  At least I was told it was better than the last one.

But then yesterday, I went to Brighton for lunch and coming back, the weather had broken and I was choking and wheezing, like I did as a child.

I was feeling bad in the the evening and I texted a friend, who has suffered similarly this winter. She texted back “Not cough but catarrh and intermittent headache.”

That could sum me up too and in some funny ways, I’m almost worse indoors.

I’m looking at how all this relates to my INR, which I’m now taking daily.

At least my INR is within its prescribed range and for the last few days it has been spot on 2.5, as measured by my CoaguChek device.

Just going to have a bath and put my head under the water. Temporarily I should add!

June 12, 2013 Posted by | Health | , , | 1 Comment

Famous Cambridge Stunt Recreated

The BBC web site gives a few details here about how Cambridge students put an Austin Seven van on the roof of Senate House in 1958.

The story is actually on the web, but in their archives the BBC should have a recording of Tonight, where the whole stunt was explained to Cliff Michelmore. But then the BBC used to habitually reuse videotapes, so I suppose it’s gone.

June 11, 2013 Posted by | News | , , | Leave a comment

Have I Shortened My Life By Moving?

Accotrding to the new Longer Lives web site, I have moved from a healthy area, St. Edmundsbury to an unhealthy one, Hackney.

But then my lifestyle has hardly changed!

I did end up in hospital last year, but then the heating system in this house had something to do with it.

June 11, 2013 Posted by | Health | , , | Leave a comment

Do Weather Babes Make Weather Forecasts Better?

When did you last see an ugly or obese lady doing the weather on the television?

Even the Scottish lady of a certain age, who does the weather on BBC Breakfast, would be an acceptable partner on a date.  I did see her once in the flesh and I think she looks younger on the box.

Today with the end of summer, BBC London has brought out one of their most glamorous presenters from a stable, that only includes one make, who seems to be only let out in the evening.

I do think that television, sexes up the weather.

June 11, 2013 Posted by | World | , , | Leave a comment

How To Celebrate Australian Defeat By England

Last night, I made a couple of my shepherd’s pies.

Last Night's Shepherd's Pie

Last Night’s Shepherd’s Pie

One was for last night and the other was to be saved for later.  Although, as I have had a slight problem with the fridge, I suspect it’ll go in the freezer. I dropped a knife yesterday and it slid under the fridge.  In getting it out of its hole under the work-top, I must have pulled the cable out, so of course it stopped working. As all my milk went solid, I’m not in the best mood today, having had to drink black tea.

I had a thought yesterday, as I was making the pies.  Would one work with kangaroo mince, to celebrate a victory over the old enemy?

My rudimentary cooking skills say it would and from time in Australia, I know that kangaroos are good eating.  So I used that great cooking utensil, Google, to look for a supplier.

The first I found was Macken Brothers in Chiswick. They have a selection of exotic meats and confirmed they can do kangaroo mince.

I also searched further and found Kezie Foods in Scotland, which has a wide selection of kangaroo meat. According to that page, kangaroo meat is very good for your heart.

I’ll definitely cook something in the next month or so.

June 11, 2013 Posted by | Food, Sport | , , | Leave a comment

Remove Weight To Make Something Better

You would think, that by now, we’ve pushed the technology in lifts, as far as we safely can.

But, go up in a very tall building and you’ll often have to change lifts to get to the top.

One of the problems was that the weight of the steel cable that holds the lift car up, was just too much.

But now Kone have come up with a carbon fibre lift cable, that is both light and strong. They call it Ultrarope and it’s described here on their web site.

They claim that maximum lift heights can rise from 500m to a kilometre, whilst saving energy too.

That sounds good to me.

It’s a classic case of improving something, by using a new lighter and stronger material.

June 10, 2013 Posted by | World | , , | Leave a comment

John Stephen Remembered

This plaque in memory of John Stephen was at the Southern end of Carnaby Street.

John Stephen Remembered

John Stephen Remembered

I csan remember some of his fashions from the 1960s, although I never bought anything.

June 10, 2013 Posted by | World | , , | Leave a comment

A Restaurant I Won’t Visit

As they seem to encourage smoking dollies to parade outside, I don’t think I’ll visit this restaurant.

A Restaurant I Won't Visit

A Restaurant I Won’t Visit

She put me off so much, I didn’t even look at the menu, but just walked by out of the smoke.

June 10, 2013 Posted by | Food, Health, World | , | Leave a comment