Do not upset the staff in Morrisons when shopping.

And here we are at Thursday and today is Shopping day down town with a difference. as you know Pauline always takes me down town on a Tuesday and Thursday to go shopping, but this week Pauline was in hospital having her Thyroid operation, so there was no shopping trip and today Gordon is taking us as he is off work this week to keep Pauline in check after her Operation.

Behave yourself Pauline

 Anyway after the normal morning ritual, I have a phone call from Pauline to say that she is not feeling to bad today, and that her and Gordon will be round to collect me about 10.30 and we will go down to Morrisons to get the shopping, as we are going straight there and back in the car with Gordon I will take the Rollator and leave the wheelchair at home, so we will see how I get on with that . So I need to go and get washed and dressed and ready for when Pauline and gordon arrive

Getting Ready to go out shopping.

True to there word the "Gruesome Twosome " AKA Pauline and Gordon arrive at 10.40 and we get the rollator into the car and and we go down to the Morrison store in the victory retail park in Portsmouth city Centre. It is not the easiest of places to get to, as usually Pauline and I go down to the precinct first and then we walk with me in the wheelchair to morrisons , anyway we get there and then we are into the store to get the shopping done. Me with the Rollator and Gordon with the trolley.

I hear that Gordon likes big Melons

 Anyway it was a good hour shopping today, it went well with the rollator but was really tired at the end, it was probably that it was like a new found freedom as I was able to do my shopping independently which meant that Pauline and gordon kept looking to see where I was as I was up and down the aisle,s like a marathon runner.

One day Morrisons the next the World

This is the one I want.

Anyway It was at the fish counter that I realized that the some of the staff have not got a sense of humour, they need to lighten up and enjoy life. The fish counter in Morrisons and I usually have a laugh and a joke with the regulars as they have got to know me as we go in shopping once a week since they opened, but today the regular staff must be on holiday, anyway there is large signs on the counter stating that they will prepare any fish that I want and prepare it the way I want it

So anyway I get my normal order of a Fresh sea bass fillet and also a nice Dover Sole Fillet and then ask if I can have a Catfish fillet stuffed with sun dried tomato and Parsley.  to which he replied that they don,t do that to which I replied well your signs say you do, Poor lad, no sense of humour which was totally different to the reaction I got from our checkout assistant who does know us who was in stitches and could not stop laughing when I said that I nearly went to Asda to get my toilet rolls today as they were on special offer and were advertised as "finger piercing good" LOL. I really must behave myself but then again why should I.

Once we had got the shopping and paid for it we put it in the car and then went into morrisons cafe for a coffee and lunch before heading back home, once we were home we put the shopping away and then I made coffee,s and we had a chat before Pauline and Gordon went back home. It was about 1.30 when they left so I had a lie down for an hour until 2.30 when I got up and prepared the vegetable for tonight,s dinner and then into the lounge to watch "The Royal" and "A Touch of Frost" while I get todays shortened Journal written and Posted, I have kept it short today as rushing around with the rollator has tired me out and the legs are aching like mad.

The "Royal" a Medical Drama ITV 2003 - 2011 87 episodes

A "Touch of Frost" a crime drama ITV 1992 - 2010  42 episodes

Well it is now 4.40, Gervase has just phoned for a chat, he is just on his way to the train station on his way home from work, so I will now get this journal posted and then settle down with the TV and facebook before it is time to get dinner at 6.00. so until tomorrow I will say good 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.

The End of an Era.

Today my Journal is dedicated to the demise of our last aircraft Carrier H.M.S Ark Royal which is making its last departure from its home port of Portsmouth.

Today is a very sad day for the People of Portsmouth, The Naval families of the UK, the Royal Navy and for the Security and safety of our Island. for today the last of the Royal Navy aircraft carriers is leaving Portsmouth Harbour at 1.00 pm and being towed to a scrap yard in Turkey for its scrap metal value which the Politicians of our Island Nation  think is worth more than the safety of the People they represent.

Why am I feeling like this you may ask, well the answer is simple, like many other people around the united Kingdom and (particularly in Portsmouth), we are related through the centuries to our ancestors being members of the Royal Navy ( The Senior service) dating back to the crimean war and beyond. My Great Great Grand father (Joseph Smith)was in the Royal Navy, based in Jersey in the 1850,s to the 1870,s and my Grandfather (John Michael Smith) was also in the royal Navy serving in world war one, My Maternal Grandfather (Frederick Hubbard was also in the Royal Navy again serving in World War one, and My Father was in the royal navy ( Albert Joseph Smith)  as were his Brothers and sister again all serving in the Second World War

Joseph Smith (Great Great Grandfather)

John Michael Smith (Grandfather)

Frederick Hubbard (Grandfather)

Albert Joseph Smith (Father)

So as you can see the family has a strong affiliation to the Royal Navy, so it is a sad day to see the Flagship of the Royal Navy being towed out of Portsmouth Harbour to be scrapped at a scrap yard in Turkey, although they are building new aircraft carriers these will not be operational until sometime in 2020 so until then our naval fleet has no air cover if there is another conflict.

Unfortunately I could not get down to see her leave, Pauline did offer to take me down but it was a dull day and it would have been very busy however I have found some photographs of her leaving and pauline did manage also to take a couple of pictures of her going past Southsea Common.

A large crowd gathering on the Round Tower

HMS Ark Royal leaving Portsmouth Harbour.

HMS Ark Royal being towed into the Solent

The view of HMS Ark Royal Taken by Pauline passing Southsea Common

so that is my day today, the end of another era and there will be a lot of sad faces around Portsmouth today. anyway sorry I have taken up most of todays Journal with this story but it is an important event here in Portsmouth especially as it is the home of the Royal navy and has been for centuries .

My day has been very quiet, I slept well last night and have had a very restful day today , I have spent most of the day watching the TV and following the news reports of the Ark Royal, I had my lunch at 2.00 and had Sea Bass, New Potato and Cauliflower cheese, and tonight for tea I will have some chicken soup, anyway it is nearly 4.00 so I will get this Journal posted and then settle down to watch a film "Home alone 3" which I recorded yesterday, so until tomorrow when I return with my normal Journey I will say Cheerio.