Our Diligent Participation And Completion Of The National Travel Survey Is Rewarded!

HEADS WILL ROLL ...... WHAT, NO PICTURES? 

QUESTIONS WILL BE ASKED ON PARLIMENT AND SOMEONE WILL BE SACKED. IN ALL OUR YEARS OF BLOGGING, WE'VE NEVER GONE LIVE WITH NO PICTURES!!  TOO LATE NOW, BUT TRUST US A FULL ROBUST AND VIGOUROUS INVESTIGATION IS BEING HELD AT THIS VERY SECOND!   

Where does a week go?  After a seven days of being honoured to participate in the National Travel Survey, it's now all over, leaving us feeling that we'd only just got into our stride. 

Darrell would complete our form at the end of each day online and then poof, it was time for our "inquisitor", the very efficient Mr Pete to return, to sign us off and deliver our extra £5 Love to Shop voucher for completing the above.  

He said he didn't know how well we'd scored, but he's sure we'd have been a most excellent representation of those without a car, who rely almost solely on their feet to get them from A to B, all the way up to Y and Z.  

We felt sooooooooo proud and told him that if he was ever involved in any other National type Survey, he was to call us first!

As for "spending" our total of £15 of vouchers for our valuable weeks work, let's just say £15 worth of Slush Puppie Squeezees from Iceland should, just about, get us through the summer!!!  What are we like? 

Astonish Toilet Bowl Fresh And Fizz

Darrell always says we were some of the first, blogging, real life, influencers before there was even such a thing. We've done it all in the past from Marmite, Wayfair, Innocent drinks, The Natural Confectionary Co. Jelly Snakes to Lucozade energy drinks, to name just a few, as far back as 2011. Not to mention In 2012 we were contacted by Emin, the support act at the Eurovision Song Contest to "champion" his latest album! Heady, heady days ......

But alas, we never got invested in vlogging, remaining strangers to the ring light, microphone and selfie stick tripod and that genre of influencing, so we, tragically, got left behind ........ although, we are still very much open to the cheeky odd offer or two!!

So these days, if we endorse anything, it's solely because we actually like and  use the product, which is why today Darrell wanted to sing the praises Astonish Toilet Bowl Fizz and Fresh in Pink Peony flavour.  In a household with three very masculine males of the species and an ever fragrant one, the absence of limescale, calcium and rust in the loo has to absolutely paramount .........

...... and according to Darrell, who as you know is exceptionally particular about such things, after only dropping one foaming tablet, our u-bend has never been so resplendent and on point - £1.49 for a box of 8 from Home Bargains. Twenty minutes and no scrubbing, well, it would be rude not to. What on earth is he like? 

Alice Goes All Viral With Nivea Sun Eau De Toilette - "Sunshine In A Bottle"

There are two start dates for the summer, the astrological one and the meteorological one, but as we are impatient and can't wait until the aforementioned astrological one on 20th June, our summer is starting, in real life, today, meteorologically speaking on the 1st.

And, so to embrace, what we hope will be long and balmy days, filled with clear blue skies, brilliant sunshine and the odd summer breeze to help cool us down ......

......... the ever fragrant Alice has decided to change up her perfume to reflect the season, in the guise of Nivea Sun.

Now, it's neigh on impossible to think that Alice could ever be more fragrant .........

.......... her signature aroma being Lush Snow Fairy, but the name doesn't really reflect this glorious time of year, so she's swapped notes of cotton candy, cherry, pear and vanilla for, and I quote, "fresh citrus and subtle florals, anchored by a warm, woody base and concludes with a soft, airy freshness that lingers like a day spent basking in the sun" ............

It all sounds very heady and romantic, however, I'll admit I'm not too sure, as I think I also picked up notes of furniture polish of the more expensive (not own brand) persuasion, not that I would ever utter a word to Alice. 

However Darrell has castigated me good and proper, calling me me a Philistine, because, accordioning to him, whenever Alice whaffs by, she exudes summer personified, transporting him to every Greek beach we've ever laid on a sunbed, plus a few in the UK, including Dawlish and Bournemouth.  What is he like?

Having a lady amidst a household of pretty much confirmed bachelors has really changed our perspective on things, but we wouldn't be without her!

No More Special Assemblies In Church

A mixed bag of emotions this morning ...... 

..... as it would seems that there will be no more special school assemblies in church for quite a while, as their venue, St Peter's Church, is now something of a danger zone, as it undergoes vital renovation.

However, when this said renovation includes the dismantling of the spire, I think you can imagine the unbridled joy that brings to Eric's heart and soul of a hi viz vest, safety helmet and scaffolding type nature!

The safety signs alone are more than capable of holding the little fella in thrall for more hours than I care to count, but it also means that if we can't find him during day light hours, I think it will be a safe bet as to where he'll be.  

Never has the school run been quite such an exhilarating prospect as he watches the work happen in real time, with the spire gradually coming down and then back up again when sufficient funds are raised. He's already given himself an extra fifteen minutes each way in order to properly survey the work done each day, heaven help us all .......I know he'll be hanging round, hankering to be invited up to the lumberjacks "crows nest" to take in the view ...... Note to self; deny all knowledge as to where aforementioned hi viz vest and safety helmet have disappeared to and not to encourage any considered purchase of karabiners and climbing rope! 

More Distractions Of A Feathered Persuassion On Eric's School Run

Alice is wondering that if, perhaps, she shouldn't accompany Eric on the school run until the end of the school year at least, as there have been quite a few developments along his route that might prove a tad distracting for the little fella .......

..... especially when yesterday she spotted that Vogue Gents Barbers, which he has to pass, has put two, occupied bird cages on display in their window. 

In one, she "thinks" is a cockatiel .......

..... and, in the other, two budgies in very beautiful shades of blue, a delicate turquoise and a lovely, soft powdery tone.

She knows that Eric just won't be able to resist a cheeky five minutes watching their feathery antics and though he is very good and often adds extra time to his run to account for such distractions, a couple of minutes can very easily turn into a bit longer if there's a lot going on. 

However, I've assured her that the thought of a beloved and bewildered nephew, stood standing alone, outside the school gates wondering where on earth his Uncle Eric could be, would be more than enough for him to get an almighty wiggle on, but there again, if she wanted to tag along with him for a while and share in such fluttery, avian delights until the novelty has worn off a little ......... well, it wouldn't do any harm!!!

We've "Officially" Part Of The National Travel Survey

Following our post from last week about taking part in the National Travel Survey, we've now had our "official" interview with Mr Pete, the inquisitor.  It was all very interesting, especially as we only generally travel on foot, so great swathes of questions were not relevant to our circumstances, so it didn't take as long as said inquisitor anticipated, however, we think we gave a good account of ourselves, although a little taken aback at being asked if we felt lonely on the (private) online questionnaire ??????.........

That being said, we were then asked if, for another £5 shopping voucher, we'd be up for filling in a record of one weeks worth of journeys, either in a printed booklet or online.

Well, you know us, we like to do our civic and civil duty to King and Crown, so it was a no brainer, we were honoured to be asked and participate.

Each day we have to fill in where we travel to and from, what time we start and finish, each stage of our journey, method of transport, distance and the reason for the journey.

Recording the distance might be a bit tricky, most regular journeys we can do in our sleep and have never really given much thought how far anything is, but Darrell says it should be pretty easy to work out on Google maps.

We are worried we may be a little on the boring and unadventurous side for the survey. It would be nice to be able to add a whole plethora of other exciting travel methods such as motorcycles, vans, lorries, ferries and trams, so we've had to tell Eric that he can't simply get a bicycle, e-bike or e-scooter just for a week to help zhuzh things up a bit, we need to be as au naturelle as possible to reflect our "simple" lives. Meanwhile, the jury is out as to whether a skateboard or skates constitute as transport.  

Anyway, the recording all kicks off tomorrow .......

Eric's hoping that his duel school run suitably impresses, with him planning to make a few subtle changes to his route(s) to add a few more valuable yards to his overall distance!  What on earth is he like? 

The Knitted Bible Exhibition Arrives In Evesham

 Let's just say, on it's opening day .........

..... Eric was up at the very crack of dawn .........

....... scrubbed and polished to an inch of his life, then breakfasted ......

 ...... to be down at Evesham Methodist Church to pick up his programme for what he, as a bona fide knitted nativity owner, with many, many thanks to our beloved Seaside Karen ..........

........ has been waiting to see, in actual real life, for more years than we care to remember .......

...... to wit, fanfare of celestial trumpets, The Knitted Bible Exhibition as created, by St George's URC in Hartlepool in 2008, originally just as the Last Supper, but then things grew and grew until thirty six scenes were depicted in wool .........

........ and then when proclaimed a rapturous success, offered on loan to tour in churches all around the country ever since.

It was emotional, very emotional ........ very, very emotional indeed .....

....... with Eric asking would we mind letting him go alone for this inaugural visit .......

...... so he could be alone with his thoughts .......

....... and then, after that, it would be biblical scenes in the guise of yarn akimbo, as the exhibition is open until 5th June, allowing us to visit as many times as we like for free .......

........ or with a voluntary donation to Christian Aid.

Eric's favourite scene? Well, it was almost impossible for the little fella to choose ........

..... apart from the obvious nativity, perhaps it was Jonah and the whale ......

....... the raising of Lazarus .........

....... and The Lost Sheep ........

....... but who knows, the next time he goes it could all change as the Last Supper, Wedding at Cana and Loaves and Fishes also had a profound affect on him!

He said it was all too wonderful and almost impossible to drag himself away .....

....... but not before entering in a prize draw ......

...... and signing the visitors book, after much thought!

Anyway, if we can't find Eric in the next two/three weeks I think his whereabouts will be a forgone conclusion, if quite a way to shout to tell him his tea is ready!  Happy, happy days........... 

Oh and did I mention, he's now desperate to learn to knit, with dreams of knitting a tableau of his very own, biblical story as yet to be decided, although ...... I think I may have heard mench of The Ten Plaques of Egypt???????  Heaven help us all! 

The Knitted Bible – St. George's URC, Hartlepool

Knitted Bible Gallery – St. George's URC, Hartlepool

AND they now have a knitted Harvest ...........

The Knitted Harvest – St. George's URC, Hartlepool