GO55 - NEVER say NEVER!

You may remember, way back sometime last year, Eric pondering whether he ought dare mention to Darrell that they'd finally turned our much lamented Aldi (left vacant due to a leaky roof) to open up a storage facility ........

...... not wishing, in any way, to encourage Darrell's propensity to fill every single crevice, nook and cranny of the bijoux Towers with all manner of decorative items of a seasonal type nature, causing even our beloved Mr D in torrid and exotic Mexico to remark that we must be living in a real live Tardis ......

Well, it was only a matter of time  ....... and you can never say never!!!!!!!

Soooooo, Welcome to Unit G055!  Our all singing, all dancing, very generously proportioned, telephone box sized lock up,  To be honest, we feel like characters from Only Fools and Horses with this new development, we'll leave you to decide who is who. 

It's a long and complicated tale with, unfortunately, a sad story, that we decided to keep under wraps our beloved followers. Too long and complicated to go into detail here, but, let's just say, it's only a temporary measure while we try to sort through a mahoooosive collection of Lego (I know ????), that we inherited from a family member, which we decided, after a full and frank family debate (none of which got heated) to sell, as we don't really "do" Lego.

However, I think you can imagine Eric's excitement at "possessing" such a property, especially when it's all managed solely by app ........

......... there's absolutely no one on site, you just open said app on your phone and it's like "open sesame", from the main gate outside, to the sliding front door and even the lock to our unit! 

It's quite something to behold and let's just say, that the little fella needs no excuse to go up there to wander up and down all it's endless, long, faceless yellow corridors, not really good idea if you're feeling a little off colour yourself and help collect the latest set of boxes.

Our only worry is that he might well wear out the mechanics before we actually vacate the building!  What on earth is he like? 

Eric Finds Sunny D En Angleterre

You may remember a little while back, when Eric and Alice were wholeheartedly embracing Dunedin in Sunny Florida just before Christmas, when the little fella was quite taken when he found Sunny D alive and well and selling in Dollar Tree ......

..... well, look what he stumbled upon in our very own Iceland up town ........

..... only flipping the aforesaid Sunny D.  However, on this occasion no considered purchase was made, he's really more of a Tropicana with bits sort of a guy to be honest .........

...... and though no stranger to trying something "different", he says he's really not sure about either of their colours, to wit the Blue Raspberry and the Sour Apple flavours. They are, as you can probably see, quite disturbing, in most peculiar hues of blue and deep turquoise green (?). He said they reminded him of painting with his beloved niece and nephew and the odd colours they would make in the brush cleaning water ......... what is he like? But I think I have to say that I agree with him? No nom nom!

National Hedgehog Day

Fanfare of trumpets please  ....... for today is, would you believe, National Hedgehog Day and needless to say we are celebrating it with great aplomb.

We've dusted and rearranged our beloved Pharmacy Michelle hedgehog "thank you" cards and displayed them with pride for such a day. They are perfect, duel purpose greetings, who'd have thought! 

Eric and the ever fragrant Alice had to go into town, so it was another chance for them to "admire" our local artwork, depicting said cute, prickly creatures, as they walked along the road.

It has to be said that no trip up town is a proper trip up town, without nipping into our charity shop of choice, Vale Wildlife and it just so happened that the dynamic duo had a bag of bibs and bobs to drop off there after Darrell had a bit of a spring clean.

Alice said it was a bit emotional as they gazed at the pictures of some of the tiny baby hedgehogs the charity had rescued and saved, while Eric pondered the way all manner of hedgehog seemed to have an affinity for finding him (it's never been vice versa) and how they had eventually wheedled their way into all our lives. It would seem to us that although Eric swears his spirit animal is the manatee, we would humbly beg to differ!

A Subliminal Message From Eric's Spirit Animal???

At the very start of February, the month best known for love, with Valentines Day slap bang in the middle, it seemed only natural for Eric to just happen upon this little beauty, up at the Relate shop in the run up to the big day ....... 

.... to wit a hedgehog on a heart shaped dish, an unusual representation of love perhaps, but not entirely a surprise for Eric, "It was", he said, "...more of a message of a subliminal type nature." reflecting his affinity with such creatures!!  What is he like?  

However, at £4.50 it was a little steep for his wallet, so no considered purchase was made on this occasion! 

Totally Brahms .......

 Another new year, another banner and another choice concert to muse ......

...... and ponder whether it would be something that our beloved Mr D, over in the exotic climes of Mexico, might purchase tickets for, to embrace the multiple talents of three renowned musicians, if, of course, he was passing this way!

The ever fragrant Alice, as is always her want, took all said banner in .......

....... and then tilted her head coquettishly to her shoulder, fluttering her impossibly long eyelashes  .........

..... and demurely wondered aloud whether there might also be a little Liszt included, as the two seemed to be, at times, so intrinsically linked!  What on earth is she like? 

Not So Creepy Crypt

Before travelling home from his little sorjourn dans Londres, Eric thought he might just like to light a candle in St Paul's .......

..... however, unfortunately, he didn't realise that you had to book for a quick gander or that there would actually be a full choral service in full swing going on .......

...... so, to be honest, he thought that would be it ......

...... until he spotted a small side door with stairs leading down to the enticing and romantic sounding Crypt Cafe .....

..... and well, it would have been rude not to explore the one of the iconic cathedral's inner most sanctums, wouldn't it? 

It goes without saying that this little detour did not disappoint!

With a pot of tea and a very ample slice of cherry Bakewell duly purchased and partaken with a certain amount of delicacy in such august surroundings  ...... 

....... while the heavenly sound of a full blown celestial choir, donned, no doubt, in full cassock and impossibly starched, ruffled collars, gently drifted from above, through the Cathedral's hallowed walls and vaulted ceilings  .......

 

..... which was all totally unexpected and quite surreal. It was, Eric said afterwards "A very beautiful and moving experience", one, he'll never forget, as he doubted very much, that he'd ever take tea again in such an unexpected "secret" type place, totally off the tourist grid, deciding that it had to be one of the great city's hidden charms.

He may not have lit his candle or seen the old bird woman ........ 

..... but the memory of all that beautiful wafting, crescendo-ing up and down music and said wonderfully delicious, moist tart, would probably have a much longer lasting effect on his spirit and soul than anything else St Paul's had to offer him!  What? What on earth is he like? 

Eyes On The Gherkin, But Not Of The Pickled Variety!

On leaving the Walkie Talkie Sky Garden, Eric couldn't help but take one last lingering look up at where he'd just been ..........

......... so many miles up in the sky and thinking of all those "tiny" people still up there, embracing and drinking in all it's charms as he had done.  It had been quite an experience, despite not taking as many pictures as he'd have liked.

....... and then, as he rounded the corner ......

...... he spotted yet another iconic building on the London skyline, one that he's pretty sure he'd seen with our beloved Sir Lord Baron Alan Sugar posing in front of one of it's impressive windows at the start of one series of The Apprentice.

Within seconds, the little fella was smitten with the thought of another new quest, to scale the Gherkin's heights as he's done The Shard and The Sky Garden, however, there is one small snag, there isn't a viewing platform dans le Gherkin, only a pretty expensive bar and restaurant ......

But, with our motto for 2026 being "never say never" ....... never say never, you just never know!