Gas leaks, Rest and History

A Happy Gas Engineer.

And here we are on another Wednesday. well yesterday evening was different, I was out the front chatting to a neighbour and she said that she could smell gas, I had thought I had smelt gas the other day but thought it was just my imagination, anyway I phoned the British gas emergency number and a Gas engineer arrived within 30 minutes and he said that yes he could also smell gas, anyway to cut a long story short it was traced to a gas back boiler Flue in the flat above mine.  Apparently what had happened was the occupants had knocked and broken the on/of switch on the gas appliance and it was in the on position and gas was escaping out through the flue, apparently it was an old appliance and did not have a safety cut of to it, needless to say it was rendered obsolete by the gas fitter so all is well.

anyway because of that I did not have dinner until late so missed out going down to see Gervase and Leanne yesterday evening, but spoke to them on the phone so will see them later in the week.

Had a good nights sleep last night and slept right through from about 11.30 until 7.45 this morning so pleased about that, anyway once I was awake I made a coffee and took back to be to listen to the radio until 8.45 when I made a nice peppermint tea and went into the lounge to text Pauline and also to get some porridge for breakfast. Once I had sent Pauline the text and had breakfast I settle down to check out emails and facebook on the laptop before pauline phones to say that all is ok with them.

well once I have spoken to Pauline I get myself sorted and dressed and then go round to the tesco express to get my morning paper before going back home to get the washing up done and to sort out the refuse ready for when the bin men come to collect it tomorrow, I then settle down to watch a movie on TV before Getting myself a sandwich for lunch at 12.45 and a nice cup of coffee. after that I go for a lie down until 1.30 when I get up and get  some research done into the Royal Garrison Church in Portsmouth, Formally known as the Domus Dei "Gods House". I have downloaded a book called "The story of the Domus Dei of Portsmouth" This is a history of the Royal Garrison Church written in 1873 by Archdeacon H.P.Wright Chaplain to the Forces.

The Domus Dei was built about 1214 and has a long and chequered history first as a resting place for Pilgrims, a hospital and poor house and then a church for the garrisons of Portsmouth. It was added to and altered over the centuries and it was damaged i World war 2 by German Bombs. The roof has never been replaced. it is a very historic part of Portsmouth situated in Governor,s Green there are over 300 memorials  on the walls, windows and grounds of the Domus Dei now known as the "Royal Garrison Church" and it is a listed Ancient Monument

The Domus Dei in the reign of Henry VIII

The Domus Dei in the reign of Charles II

The Domus Dei 1730

Plan of the Garrison Chapel 1794

Royal Garrison Church 1846

Original Garrison Church

Garrison Church Parade c1900.

The Royal Garrison Church 2011/2012

The Royal Garrison Church

The Royal Garrison Church

The Royal Garrison Church

So there we have a little bit of History to bore you all with, A very interesting book of the early history of the Domus Dei, well it is now 4.35 so time to get this journal posted and then a nice relaxing evening preparing for the shopping trip to Morrisons tomorrow so untill then I will say Bye Bye.

The Armed Forces Week and a visit to the Vampire.

Good day to you all today, it was a better morning this morning when I woke up after a really good nights sleep, which is just as well really as I have a visit to the eastney health centre today for my Monthly blood tests, at least the resident vampire Debbie is very good. she also weighed me and I am now just under 13 stone so need to lose about a stone as 11 stone 7 pounds would be my ideal weight for my age and height. Still when you think that 2 years ago I had dropped to 8 stone 7 pounds I should not complain.

Well Pauline picked me up from home with the taxi at 10.15 and we went of down to the Eastney Health Centre to give my blood before getting a Taxi back home after and collecting the wheelchair and then we were off down to the city centre to get the shopping done today. The taxi dropped us off by the main post office in slindon street which allowed us easy access to the precinct and our first stop at "Superdrug" where I get my Tenna for men and Pauline gets a couple of items that she needs to take into Hospital on Tuesday when she goes in for her Thyroid Operation.

Superdrug in Arundel Precinct, Portsmouth

once we have got what we want in Superdrug we go to the bank and then get a coffee in the precinct before going into Wilkinsons in the precinct almost opposite Superdrug before going into tesco to get the main shopping, a;though we do not have much to get today. Once we have the shopping we get some Sausage rolls from "Greggs" to take home and then Phone Gordon who comes to collect us down by the Railway station to take us back to my flat.

Greggs Takeaway outside of Tesco in Portsmouth City Centre.

Once we are back home, we get the shopping put away and I make the coffee and we have a sausage roll and a chat for 30 minutes before Pauline and Gordon head off home and I go for a lie down for 30 minutes before starting to get today,s Journal written.

As you would have Gathered from yesterdays Journal this is Armed Forces Week here in the UK, I come from a family who have a long history of service life. My Great, Great, Great Grandfather ( John Michael Smith) was in the Prussian army and came to England to Fort Cumberland in Portsmouth after the Napoleonic wars.

Fort Cumberland Portsmouth

My Great, Great Grandfather Joseph Smith was in the Royal Navy and was lost at sea in 1870

Joseph Smith

My Paternal Grandfather John Michael Smith was in the Royal Navy and served in World war one as Did my Maternal Grandfather Frederick Hubbard

Grandfather Frederick Hubbard

Grandfather John Michael Smith

Also all my Paternal Uncle,s and My aunt Clara served in the royal Navy or Army in world war 2 including my Father.

Grandmother Smith with my Uncles and Aunt including my Dad second from Left at the Back

My Mothers Brother My Uncle Fred (Frederick James Hubbard) served in the Royal Artillery during world war 2 in North Africa and Burma.

Uncle Fred ( Frederick Richard James Hubbard)

and last but not least my Father Albert Joseph Smith RN who also served in the North atlantic and also in the Pacific ocean in World War 2.

My Father Albert Joseph Smith RN.

So This week I along with many other will be supporting all members of our Armed Forces during "Armed Forces Week"
 well it is now time to get todays Journal Posted so until tomorrow I will say Tatty Bye.

its another Dentist Visit Today

Not enough hours in the day

Hello again and here I am on a day of a Painful Back and a Trip to the dentist to look forward to, These days just get Better. As many of you may have noticed there has been days where the Daily Journal has not appeared, the reason for this is that there are so many other things going on at the moment that there are days when I do not have enough time to fit everything in, but the journal will still be appearing on most days.

Ouch, Ouch, Ouch

Well as some of you will have gathered by my facebook page I pulled the muscles in my back yesterday moving my Fridge out from under the kitchen work top, On Hindsight a silly thing to do but to be honest I did it without thinking, I had knocked a pair of kitchen scissors of the top of the fridge and pulled it out to retrieve them all went well until I bent down and twisted myself to reach round and pick them up and that is when the Pain kicked in, so it was a day of rest and Co-Codamol yesterday, although I did manage to go out shopping with my son Gervase in the afternoon once the tablets kicked in.

Well as most of you know by now that with Co-Codamol come Constipation, so at least that was the excuse I needed to treat myself to a Gluten free Chicken Korma Curry for dinner last night, which I really did enjoy so with every dark cloud there is a silver lining, anyhow I got myself to bed early last night and slept right the way through until 7.30 this morning and today the Back is feeling a lot better so hopefully the damage is not to severe, the question is, " Will I Learn to think before I act in future ?" the Answer is "with my track record in life probably not". Now the Question you are all asking is did the Curry help with the constipation well the answer is "NO" so the lactulose will be out on force tonight. LOL.

My Morning Coffee

However as I said earlier I had a really good night and slept all the way through from about 11.00 until 7.30 this morning so a good nights sleep and thank goodness the back is a lot easier this morning still a slight twinge but nowhere near as bad as yesterday, anyway I take a couple of Paracetamol just to be on the safe side as I have a dental appointment this morning at 9.30, so I am out of bed by 8.00 and into the lounge with a coffee and a banana for breakfast, I text pauline and she phones back to sat that her and Gordon will be with me by 9.15 and take me down to the Dentist and then Gordon will drop us off there and come back to start the weekly flat cleaning and then we will get a Taxi back home when we are out of the Dentist.

"Must clean Teeth"

Once I have spoken to Pauline I make another coffee and then check out my emails and facebook before going into the bathroom to get myself washed and shaved and then get dressed ready for when Pauline and Gordon arrive, They are here by 9.20 so we are off down to Outram road to the dentist where Gordon drop me and Pauline off and then he goes back to my flat to get the cleaning done while I go into see my Dentist.

The Happy Dentist

I report to the Reception and I do not have to wait long before the dentist,s nurse comes to take me into the treatment room, The dentist checks my mouth to check that all is OK and that no more work needs doing on my teeth and after checking that my Medication has not changed since my last visit he explains that he is going to take the impressions for my upper plate that I need doing and also for a lower plate, this will give me a full set of teeth again, The upper plate will be made and fitted first and then the lower plate, later I have to go back in 3 weeks when the upper plate will be back from the lab so we will then have another fitting then, so once he has taken the impressions I am off back home.

Outram Road Dental Surgery, Portsmouth

A Cat Nap

Once Back home Pauline and I walk round to the Tesco Express to get my morning paper, and then back home where Gordon has just finished the weekly cleaning for me, so I make the coffee,s while Pauline sorts out my Laundry for me, She brought some clean back with her today and is taking another load to do this week so thank you Pauline and Gordon. Once we have had the coffee and a chat ii is 11.00 so Pauline and Gordon are off back home and I make a coffee and settle down to read the paper and then at 12.15 I make myself some Sardine and Tomato Paste Sandwiches for lunch which is very nice and get washed down with a nice cup of tea and then I go for a lie down at 1.15 until 2.00 and have a bit of a cat nap, as I was up early this morning.

Once I am up I go into the kitchen and make a coffee and get the vegetable prepared for tonight,s dinner and then into the lounge to get the journal written. It is now 4.20 and I have got the journal written so I will get it Posted and then I can settle down with the TV for the rest of the day, as tomorrow will be a busy day out shopping down commercial road. This week is also armed forces week with armed forces day on this Saturday the  29th June.  The Local flag raising ceremony took place in Gosport this morning.

Well there we are the end of another day, there are lots of events taking place throughout the week in Portsmouth and Gosport with Armed Forces day taking place on Saturday. I am now going to post todays blog so until tomorrow I will say Tatty Bye.

Windy, cloudy and a trip to Waterlooville

Morning Coffee

Well here we are on another Saturday with some very strong winds and rain.

So Much for summer then I had a really great nights sleep last night after a day of eating too much and then, I woke this morning about 7.00 to bright sunshine and blue sky,s, but by the time I had got to the kitchen and made my morning coffee it was raining and blowing up a bit of a storm. Once i had made my coffee I took it back to bed and lazed in bed listening to the radio until 8.30 when I went into the lounge with another coffee and some toast and marmalade and sent the Morning text to Pauline.

Ready for Walkies

Pauline phones back about 9.15 to say that she is just about to take Misty out for her morning walk, and then later her and Gordon will be going over to Waterlooville, which is a small town about 9 miles north of Portsmouth and has a really good Precinct and shopping area, so I thought that was a good idea so they will be picking me up from home at about 11.00 so plenty of time to get myself ready. Pauline sent me a photo later of the waves breaking over the sea wall this morning, when she was out on the common with Misty.

A stormy look at Southsea seafront this morning about 9.30 ish.

 Well I finish breakfast and then make another coffee before settling down on the laptop to check my emails and Facebook, I catch up on a few facebook games before I go for a wash and shave and also to get myself dressed ready for when Pauline and Gordon arrive at 11.00 to collect me for a trip over to Waterlooville. marked as A on the map

Showing Southsea and Waterlooville a distance of about 9 Miles.

About 11.10 I get a text from Pauline to say they are on the way to me so I am all OK, I get the wheelchair ready to go in Gordon,s car and then when they arrive we get all sorted and then we are off to Waterlooville. We get there and park just behind the precinct at about 11.50 so we pay for 2 hours parking and then off we go into the precinct, I am walking with the Wheelchair at the moment. Pauline and gordon have some business to carry out in the estate agents so I go and sort out what I need to do in the Nationwide and Barclays and then meet up with Pauline and Gordon outside the Estate Agents and then go for a snack and a coffee in Poppins Cafe and Restaurant 

Poppins cafe and Restaurant, Waterlooville

Well once we have finished our food and coffee, it is 12.50 so we have just about an hour left on our parking ticket so we have a wander around the shops in the precinct before going back to the car and then heading back home. on the way Pauline and Gordon drive down to show me the property they are going to be renting, it looks a very nice house in a very nice area, and I am sure it will be just the place for them.

Five Photographs of Waterlooville Precinct.

  

Once we are back home we have a coffee and a chat before Pauline and gordon head back home, after they have left I get changed into my indoor clothes and make another coffee and then get the wind wheel that Pauline,s sister Fran sent to me for the Garden set up. Pauline brought it round to me today. so Thank you Fran, it looks ok in the garden and with the wind today it is whizzing around like a Banshie.

The Wind Wheel that Fran sent me in the Garden.

Well there we are then that was my Saturday and I am pleased to say that apart from a couple of spells of sitting in the wheelchair for 5 minutes at a time I walked Pushing the wheelchair for most of the time we were in the Precinct so pleased about that.

 I have spoken to Gervase earlier on and he and Leanne had a good evening yesterday down Gunwharf celebrating leanne,s 32nd Birthday

Gervase and Leanne yesterday evening.

So that is about it for today then Folks, It has been a brilliant day today, a stormy day weather wise but an enjoyable day, I had a nice time in Waterlooville and tomorrow it will be out shopping with Gervase so looking forward to that and now I need to think about getting dinner sorted for tonight, I had a large Jacket Potato and cheese at lunchtime in waterlooville so tonight I will have a light dinner of a gammon steak with a Pineapple ring and a poached egg and Mashed  Potato so I will have that about 6.30, so as it is now 5.00 I will get this Journal Posted and then I have the rest of the evening to sort out dinner and then Relax. So until tomorrow I will say Adios.