On the Buses in Holbeach

Huge thanks and appreciation to the Lincolnshire Vintage Vehicle Society who brought several of their vintage buses to Holbeach yesterday.

The event was very well attended and several commented on how it had been the best thing to happen in Holbeach for many years. Many remembered the old services run by the Lincolnshire Roadcar Company and a few I met had actually worked for them as drivers.

The society members were very friendly and approachable, not stuffy at all unlike some other groups and societies and it was great to be able to freely explore the beautifully restored vehicles.
I was able to talk about our own bus and our struggles to get her back on the road. I was delighted to find out that they are very interested in it and I'm hoping some professional help may be forthcoming.
A truly fantastic few hours spent photographing and riding on these classic vehicles and I hope LVVS don't leave it too long before coming back to visit us down here in South Lincolnshire.

I've bought a typewriter!

I'm quite pleased, having managed to procure a rather nice Imperial 80 typewriter for the princely sum of just 99p! A lot of people I know are critical of eBay but it really is possible to find some bargains and considering I've been looking for a typewriter for some time, I'm quite chuffed. What's more, it's just down the road in Holbeach so I've arranged to collect it tomorrow afternoon.

It's not quite the portable I had been looking for, for portable it most certainly is not. It is more of an office machine, much like the ones I grew up with. In fact, I did once have an Imperial 66. Now that was a wonderful machine and effortless to use. I think it was the typewriter I used the most.
I'm hopeful my son will want to use it. It will be good for him to understand what we used before word processors and computers and it may be that he takes to it as I once did and practise his word skills using it.

The Coldest Night

Temperatures here dropped to -16 degrees C least night making it the coldest night so far. This temperature was recorded at the Holbeach weather station, just a few miles from here. The intense cold coated everything in a thick white frost making for some stunningly beautiful scenes and transforming the landscape all around.

Long Sutton Church

B1359 Gedney Drove End

Road conditions are actually pretty good this year. I really think the message has finally gotten through to the council and greater priority is being given to keeping the roads clear of snow and ice. I know in previous years that roads have been left un-gritted and impassable and I believe lessons have certainly been learnt. Even the minor side roads are clear in most cases indicating a definite change in policy., which is good.

Hallowe'en

There's always something quite mystical about this time of year. For children, it's a great excuse to dress up as monsters, witches, ghosts and goblins. We're dressing our son up and visiting family. He's dressed as a skeleton with a scary mask. Tesco were selling costumes for just £2 today so we grabbed a bargain. Regardless of age, I still think it's possible to be a little spooked. I remember driving through the country lanes in previous years and seeing in the darkness children dressed as witches and the like. It spooked me then and still does now.
So the pumpkins are calved out and the faces etched. Luckily I managed to find some candles so they'll be lit later and placed in the window. I do like this time of year. Hallowe'en wouldn't be quite the same without a creepy movie but since having our son, my wife won't watch them. It's a shame really. Of course I was the one hiding behind a cushion each time we watched one.
It was great to see so many people out and about, dressed-up in all manner of creepy costumes and enjoying themselves. That's what Hallowe'en is all about I think. 

What on Earth is going on at Tesco Holbeach...? Half the carpark is being dug-up and resurfaced and the inside of the store is a complete mess. There was nothing wrong with the surface before now so quite why it's a construction site, I don't know. And why not do it overnight or at the weekend?

Is it just me or are the Christmas TV ads appearing earlier and earlier each year? I don't want to begin thinking about it yet. It'll all be down to my wife to organise and pay for again. It's not fair and I wish I could tell her to sit back and relax as everything's taken care of, but it isn't going to happen. We need a miracle, pure and simple.

It looks like we've gotten away with it this year... not one trick or treat'er! We used to put a sign on the door saying 'baby asleep' but everyone knows our son is at school now.

Goodbye October. You'll be remembered for your weather and for the removal of Muammar Gaddafi.