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Mike’s blog – for his amusement

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  • Josh Turner & Carson McKee

    Josh Turner & Carson McKee

    I came across these two lads on YouTube. Maybe you’ll like their talents and enthusiasm, too

    Josh Turner and Carson McKee (the one in the red t-shirt) perform together as The Other Favorites.

    A Paul McCartney song
    “What…, what happened there?”
    “I just played a wrong chord!”
    “Oh, OK”
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  • When Covid stops you doing much

    I’m on my 5th day with Covid and there’s no sign of improvement. In isolation, other than from my wife, there’s little enthusiasm or energy for doing much. But I have felt able to tackle my laptop’s downloads-folder which has filled up considerably over the past year or so. The folder mainly contains images downloaded from the camera or phone, some of which I had dealt with but not deleted or filed away, and some which have just got ignored. After much effort the downloads folder is now in good shape with just two, near-empty sub-folders.

    I found these 4 images which have some interest, particularly the main one of 8-year-old Chloe in a rather stunning outfit.

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  • Solent Way (part 6) Lee-on-Solent to Portsmouth

    The 6th part of the long-distance Solent Way goes from Lee-on-Solent along the coast to the city of Portsmouth. It’s not a pleasant 7-mile walk – too much of it is along busy, main roads, but on a very hot, sunny day there was the chance to take some nice pictures of boats and blue sky.

    I have fond memories of Stokes Bay which is just along the coast from Lee-on-Solent. As kids we would be driven there to sit on the beach, kick a ball around, to picnic, to play on the putting green (now a crazy golf), to have a knockabout on the grass tennis courts (now just hard courts). It’s still a largely unspoilt, but busy little seaside area.

    The water between Gosport and Portsmouth is bustling with boats of all sizes, and the short and expensive ferry is well worth taking to get to the interesting city of Portsmouth. The city really requires at least a day to explore its delights – something for another day, perhaps.

    7 miles coastal walk
    £2.50 worth of yumminess

    The 60 miles of the Solent Way

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  • Solent Way (part 5) Warsash to Lee-on-Solent

    The 5th part of the long-distance Solent Way goes from Warsash along the coast to the seaside town of Lee-on-Solent. At some point I must have lost the coastal path which resulted in much of the walk being along pebbled, sometimes sandy, beach. At 7 miles and on a hot, cloudy day, it was exhausting walking mainly along pebbled beach. Only at the end of the walk did the sun come out.

    Lee-on-Solent is a pleasant seaside town. As kids we would pass through on the way to Stokes Bay which is a couple of miles along the coast. In later life my Mum liked to visit either the Penguin Café or the Blue Bird Café on the Lee-on-Solent front. At the end of my walk I sampled the delights of Kathy’s Seaside Treats Bakery.

    It was not the most interesting of walks, plus I had some exhausting journeys to get to the start of the walk and to return home.

    7 miles coastal walk

    The 60 miles of the Solent Way

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  • Oaks Park walk

    Unusually for me I was out of the house before 9 this morning – I’m a shockingly slow riser, normally. I’ve done this 7 mile walk many times but it was good to be walking again after an absence of a couple of weeks. Through the woods then past the back of the prison and onto Oaks Park. Everywhere the grass was very long but fortunately I don’t suffer from hay fever. As usual I do some reading in the shade, with my usual coffee and a Kit-Kat from the excellent café.

    A sign on the path invited me to find the open art studios and I came across just one with an open door. Looking inside there was no sign of the artist so I was reluctant to enter their private space which was a typical working studio with the paints and equipment as well as walls covered in paintings. I can’t believe I didn’t take a quick photo – my artist daughter would have appreciated and envied a fellow artist’s workspace. I turned around, walked in a circle and decided to go back to take that picture, but the door to the studio was now firmly closed. I should have grabbed the opportunity when I had it!

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  • Out the window

    The cricketing family were out for a knockabout on a lovely evening despite a hint of rainbow and a few threatening clouds. But then came the deluge, forcing the family to abandon their equipment and to take shelter. When the sun reappeared, so did a double rainbow.

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  • Images from the week

    Thanks, kid #1
    Thanks, kid#2
    Dinner on Epsom Downs
    Evening walk on Epsom Downs
    Mouse in the garden – EEK!
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  • The man on the step

    I haven’t posted for over three weeks (because I haven’t done anything but read books!), so here are some interesting images taken on a walk in London in January 2017. Normal service will be resumed shortly, hopefully…

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  • Solent Way (part 4) Southampton to Hamble

    The 4th part of the long-distance Solent Way goes from Southampton, along the coast to the attractive village of Hamble. At just under 10 miles and on a hot, sunny day, it was exhausting. I was surprised by how much walking there was on stony beaches. On the other hand it was nice that for most of the walk there was water to be seen.

    On arriving at Southampton Central station I walked towards the docks and saw a side view of this large liner, then on to the Hythe ferry where the previous leg of the Solent Way walk had finished.

    A liner in Southampton, near the start of the walk
    Southampton used to be walled
    An attractive small park
    The marina at Ocean Village
    From the impressive Itchen Bridge
    Another view from the Itchen Bridge
    Western Shore
    Western Shore art-deco shelters
    A lovely path through to Netley
    Victoria Park (I think)
    Yet more beach walking approaching Hamble
    Approaching the back of Hamble village
    The pink ferry
    On the ferry to see my sister in Warsash!
    A short ferry ride
    I love this little ferry!
    Southampton to Hamble

    The 60 miles of the Solent Way

    A rare selfie!
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  • My mum would have been 101 today

    Mum 1921 – 2018
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