Mr RoS & I have both had alarms go off on our mobile phones.
Ridiculously, the emergency message on both was shut off as we opened the phones so we didn't get to read them.
I have since learned that they were wildfire warnings - not that were was one in the vicinity, but instructions on fire safety, and what not to do in the current drought conditions that might start a fire.
That would have been useful to know, had it been there long enough to take in!
Some people near me had an alarm call but I didn’t. I am currently staying on a University campus and this evening we had a barbecue. It was all very safe, supervised by the catering staff, on land which is concreted, but I still considered it unwise.
I got the alarm message, I thought it was the fridge going wrong.
Hot here, though not as hot as yesterday and rain is promised, though it hasn't arrived yet. I did nothing very much today other than pop into town to look at the exhibition in the old cells in our Town Hall. Every year they have a different exhibition highlighting stories from local history. This year it was about a thirteen year old transported to Australia and the local philanthopist who founded our first public library.
We got the alarm message in Welsh, which was alarming as I knew enough to get the gist of the warning but not whether there was any immediate danger, and then couldn’t find the message to get a proper translation once I’d clicked on it. An English message followed about ten minutes later.
We got back from spending 2 weeks in Japan late on Thursday. We seldom go abroad on holiday and this was the dream family holiday, planned and booked for 2020 to celebrate my sons finishing their respective exams and then cancelled due to the pandemic. It’s taken this long to co-ordinate our diaries again, and the Youngest’s girlfriend joined us. We stayed 5 days in Tokyo, 6 days in Kyoto, and 3 days in Tokyo again, using hotels for Tokyo and staying in a traditional Japanese house with sliding doors, tatami matting and futon mattresses in Kyoto. We walked about 6 miles most days visiting temples, palaces, monkeys, anime shops, etc, and I can still feel it in my arthritic bones. It was also hot there, in the mid 30s most days. Navigating the trains, subway and buses was straightforward as everything is signposted in English. Mr Heavenly has been to Japan on business trips so had some local knowledge too.
Finding food for the two vegetarians was a nightmare, the land that invented tofu only eats it for breakfast and pork ramen is the staple food everywhere and often the only thing available in cheap restaurants. In Kyoto we were lucky to find a nearby ramen chain that used an app to add or remove items from the variations of pork ramen (including the pork!) and did miso soup as a stock option. I now feel in dire need of some chicken and vegetables, and we did resort to a ‘British pub’ on one occasion for fish and chips/pizza, as well as a Hard Rock Cafe another evening in Tokyo. But the breakfasts were great, in our first Tokyo hotel (Apa, a budget chain) we had both a full English buffet and a fantastic Japanese breakfast (miso soup, salmon and/or pork and chicken, rice, tofu and sticky soya beans), in the second (a business hotel we got cheap on a late deal) we had a buffet of English breakfast and a random variation of other items (mini tofu burgers, vegetable omelette, flavoured rice, chicken and basil, sourdough, matcha muffins).
I stayed awake on the 14 hour flight home and consequently have little jet lag and managed yesterday to log into work to catch up on emails and then do some study, as the website is open early for my classical studies module which starts in September. Today is going to be a lazy day though.
According to BBC R4 "Today", the universities will be almost falling over themselves to offer places. To use their phrase, "It's a buyers' market" for potential students.
I was surprised to read on BBC home that someone had got into Cambridge with B’s.
Back in my day (the '80s) it wasn't unusual for organ scholars, so I assume also athletes etc., to have offers of very low grades.
Organ scholars seem to have been in short supply for some time. I applied for mine after completing A-levels, so my grades were less important than performance in the scholarship/entrance exam. This was in November/December 1968 for entry in October 1969. In that year across all the colleges at Oxford there were 11 organ scholarships available, which between them attracted a grand total of 12 candidates, one of whom did not turn up for the practical exam. I was the only candidate for the organ scholarship at my first choice college.
I have a job to remember the exact years I spent (or misspent) at Grammer Skool - IIRC, 1962-1969...
Where have the intervening years gone ? Fifty-seven summers have passed since I awaited my A-Level results (they weren't good enough to get me into University, alas, though I had been provisionally granted a place at Exeter to study English Language and Literature).
Another warm and muggy day in Arkland the Bone-Dry, but less scorchio at only 77F. There is (They say) a 10% chance of Rain, but I won't believe it until I see it.
Italian stuff for Lunch - LASAGNE accompanied by Birra Peroni.
I once spent a very boozy weekend in Oxford at my friend T's parent's house. As well as T, there was another friend that had come to Oxford to audition as an organ scholar and a random American woman the organ scholar had picked up on the train over.
This morning we headed north to the Welbeck estate to look at an exhibition. visit an excellent farm shop and go for a a stroll round Cresswell Crags. We also managed a really nice lunch as well. For once the weather was pleasant but not hot.
Japan sounds great @Heavenlyannie, I'm glad you all had a good time.
My day has been less exciting: swimming and shopping in the morning, a trip to hospital to take my wife for a colonoscopy (which went well) this afternoon. And it is pretty hot again: they say 26 but it feels more.
That sounds like the holiday of a lifetime, @Heavenlyannie , with special memories made.
We are back from a couple of days with Nenlet1, son-in-law and the GrandNenling, which has been really lovely. Mr Nen took one of his kites to fly in a nearby field, especially for her entertainment, but unfortunately that didn't go well as she got very upset about the kite flying in the sky and wanted it to come down now.
We've come back to a very hot house and have opened doors and windows on the cool side of the house to try and get some airflow through.
Next week is a very busy one for us which I'm rather dreading but keep reminding myself that the week doesn't start until Monday and meanwhile there is stir fry and WINE for tea.
Comments
Ridiculously, the emergency message on both was shut off as we opened the phones so we didn't get to read them.
I have since learned that they were wildfire warnings - not that were was one in the vicinity, but instructions on fire safety, and what not to do in the current drought conditions that might start a fire.
That would have been useful to know, had it been there long enough to take in!
No warnings here AFAIK, though there have been a couple of fires in this area recently. Nothing as big as those elsewhere, fortunately.
Hot here, though not as hot as yesterday and rain is promised, though it hasn't arrived yet. I did nothing very much today other than pop into town to look at the exhibition in the old cells in our Town Hall. Every year they have a different exhibition highlighting stories from local history. This year it was about a thirteen year old transported to Australia and the local philanthopist who founded our first public library.
Finding food for the two vegetarians was a nightmare, the land that invented tofu only eats it for breakfast and pork ramen is the staple food everywhere and often the only thing available in cheap restaurants. In Kyoto we were lucky to find a nearby ramen chain that used an app to add or remove items from the variations of pork ramen (including the pork!) and did miso soup as a stock option. I now feel in dire need of some chicken and vegetables, and we did resort to a ‘British pub’ on one occasion for fish and chips/pizza, as well as a Hard Rock Cafe another evening in Tokyo. But the breakfasts were great, in our first Tokyo hotel (Apa, a budget chain) we had both a full English buffet and a fantastic Japanese breakfast (miso soup, salmon and/or pork and chicken, rice, tofu and sticky soya beans), in the second (a business hotel we got cheap on a late deal) we had a buffet of English breakfast and a random variation of other items (mini tofu burgers, vegetable omelette, flavoured rice, chicken and basil, sourdough, matcha muffins).
I stayed awake on the 14 hour flight home and consequently have little jet lag and managed yesterday to log into work to catch up on emails and then do some study, as the website is open early for my classical studies module which starts in September. Today is going to be a lazy day though.
Organ scholars seem to have been in short supply for some time. I applied for mine after completing A-levels, so my grades were less important than performance in the scholarship/entrance exam. This was in November/December 1968 for entry in October 1969. In that year across all the colleges at Oxford there were 11 organ scholarships available, which between them attracted a grand total of 12 candidates, one of whom did not turn up for the practical exam. I was the only candidate for the organ scholarship at my first choice college.
Where have the intervening years gone ? Fifty-seven summers have passed since I awaited my A-Level results (they weren't good enough to get me into University, alas, though I had been provisionally granted a place at Exeter to study English Language and Literature).
Another warm and muggy day in Arkland the Bone-Dry, but less scorchio at only 77F. There is (They say) a 10% chance of Rain, but I won't believe it until I see it.
Italian stuff for Lunch - LASAGNE accompanied by Birra Peroni.
This morning we headed north to the Welbeck estate to look at an exhibition. visit an excellent farm shop and go for a a stroll round Cresswell Crags. We also managed a really nice lunch as well. For once the weather was pleasant but not hot.
Japan sounds great @Heavenlyannie, I'm glad you all had a good time.
We are back from a couple of days with Nenlet1, son-in-law and the GrandNenling, which has been really lovely. Mr Nen took one of his kites to fly in a nearby field, especially for her entertainment, but unfortunately that didn't go well as she got very upset about the kite flying in the sky and wanted it to come down now.
We've come back to a very hot house and have opened doors and windows on the cool side of the house to try and get some airflow through.
Next week is a very busy one for us which I'm rather dreading but keep reminding myself that the week doesn't start until Monday and meanwhile there is stir fry and WINE for tea.