This was previously printed in The Wokingham Paper on Friday 19 June 2015
What a difference this weather is making to everyone and everything. It's been glorious and I have been up with the larks taking full advantage of the longer days. The morning routine now involves suncream and we’ve got tubes of Factor 50 all over the house and in the car just incase anyone forgets. I’m also never far from my sunglasses as I can’t bear squinting, not from a vanity point but it’s just the squinting! I have been wearing Maui Jim sunglasses for ages now, having been recommended them by Leightons Opticians and have written a blog about sunglasses and eye care over on my blog which can be found at www.nelliepompoms.co.uk. It’s so nice to be able to walk out of the door without a big bundle of coats so I’ve done a big anorak wash and now they’re in the cupboard waiting for a rainy day, which I can assure you I am not!
In the garden
Having lived in our present house for years we have been making subtle changes to the garden and lopping hedges over the years but we have gone in for the kill this year and have taken out a dead hedge which has given us so much more light and space, not to mention a huge pile of leaves and branches which will be chipped and put to good use. I’ve managed to get rid of a lot of the mare’s tail and am looking forward to the arrival of a friend with his rotavator to give the soil a good going over. Of course I have been researching them online and whilst it’s a nod to traditional farming methods I’ve not got space for a horse drawn harrow.
I don’t overly suffer with hay fever but I know people who do and was interested to read about a Herbalife product from my good friend Reading Defender Gemma Sims called Roseguard which contains Turmeric which is a natural anti-histamine. Well I never knew that!
Food and drink
With the good weather comes the BBQ season which I particularly love as I do the preparation and then someone else cooks it! Of course the path to this idyll hadn't been plain sailing as we had run out of gas and I was tasked with getting a refill which I kept forgetting. The crunch came when we had no gas and I had to do a mad dash to the BP garage. I was all set to go to Bracknell but one of my daughters said that we should get in Winnersh as it would be quicker. Fair play she had a point!! So off we went to BP in Winnersh where they didn't sell it but they suggested I went to the one by the Showcase Cinema. At that garage they said that they didn't stock it either and maybe try the one by The Three Tuns. Off we went only to be told that they didn't sell it and neither did any BP garage. Imagine the panic. Mmmmh, so I did a quick search for BBQ gas Wokingham on Google and Homebase in Bracknell was the top suggestion. So I phoned them and hurrah they had the gas so off we went (in the opposite direction) to Homebase Bracknell and picked up the gas. I think that was my Sliding Doors moment of the day and I kindly thanked said daughter for suggesting the closest option. Had I gone to Bracknell BP, right next door to Homebase, they would have told me to go next door and I wouldn't have been up and down the Reading Road in hungry desperation. Anyway we're cooking on gas but just incase you are after BBQ gas then I'd suggest phoning to check it's in stock. You'll thank me for it!
The Big Sing
Years and years ago in the days of the smoking carriage and slamming doors I used to commute to the City. My fellow train passengers were a friendly bunch and I’ve kept in touch with a number of them. One of them is Dorian Edwards who is organising The Big Sing at St Crispin’s School on Saturday 18 July 2015 for the OXFAM Nepal Earthquake Fund. We met for lunch at Piccolo Arco this week and I set up a Twitter account for Thames Valley Choirs, so do give @TVCommChoir a follow. Tickets for the The Big Sing are available at Bookends in Peach Street, OXFAM in Peach Street and the Wokingham Information Centre. Dorian is also looking for people to join the choir which is open to anyone over the age of 18 who wants to enjoy the challenge of singing in a choral environment, so if this strike a chord (badoom, tish!) then take a look at the Sing Healthy website.
Telly
Well that’s the first Home Fires series over and I have to say it was my Sunday evening treat and I’m looking forward to the next series. I started watching The Syndicate which has a good cast, I first met Anthony Andrews shortly before Brideshead Revisited was on our tellies and he just doesn’t seem to age! I watch even less telly in the summer months but I will be watching the football and cheering on England, did you see that goal from Fran Kirby last week? I cried. Or was it hay fever?