Just finished our latest quiz league match on zoom. It was a low scoring match but we scrapped a draw! last week we scored  a lot more but came second!  I am currently working on setting match questions for a few weeks time. Of course we now have to do it virtually so we miss having a pint together afterwards.

Good to have a decent day’s weather after yesterday’s storm. A busy day here doing jobs and errands.

The Town were unlucky last night, played some great football in the second half ironically much more fluent than we were on Saturday when we won!

Today’s Quiz is on a Storm Theme!

a) What do you call a tornado that is over water?    b) Which state in the USA has the most tornados per year?   c) Who was the Norse God of Thunder?   d) The special type of blue-green lightning clings to the wing tips of most aircraft is known as what?  e) What shape is a tornado?

Storm Christoph really hit today and meant apart from me going to collect somebody’s bike to repair being inside.

One hiccup today was going over the Two Severn Bores podcast that I’ve mentioned and discovered that a chunk was missing. So even though the website might be updated soon it may be a few days before the podcast goes on!

Just getting ready to watch football. We are at Brentford where last year was the worst defeat 0-7 I have seen -AGGGGGHHHHHHH! So not that optimistic but surely it can’t be that bad can it?

Yesterday’s G.K. quiz

a) Little Owl is the smallest owl in this country-  probably the bird I’ve photographed the most! One below!  b) The Mosquito aircraft  was the “Wooden Wonder” of WW2 !   c) The names were the fairies from A Midsummer Night’s Dream  d) 6 Apollo missions landed on the moon  e) The Bay of Pigs was the ill fated US invasion of Cuba-a beautiful place where I have been Bird Watching. No quiz tonight because of football. COYH!!!!!

Strange sort of day today as we knew the weather was going to deteriorate. We managed to get in a walk before the mizzle and later heavy rain came in. Tomorrow looks really wet and windy with the storm!   Think it might be a writing day tomorrow!

Web site is getting closer to being revamped, I need to think about the pictures-some will stay but there will be new ones including some book illustrations!

The Test Matches between Australia and India sounded good, would of been good to watch it!

Yesterday’s Quiz on Mondays

a) Solomon Grundy was married on a Wednesday   b) Garfield didn’t like Mondays  c) Monday’s Child is fair of face  d) Doctor Christiaan Barnard was the man who became world renowned. e) Bob Geldof and the Boomtown Rats sang “I Don’t Like Mondays!”

Today’s Quiz is General Knowledge

a) What is the smallest Owl in Britain?   b) Which WW2 aircraft was nicknamed “The Wooden Wonder”  c) Who are Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Mustardseed and Moth?  d) How many Apollo missions landed on the moon?  e) The unsuccessful US invasion of Cuba in 1961 is known as what?

I read that today is supposed to be the most depressing day of the year (I think it was a marketing ploy by a travel company!) Although it could be argued we have had many depressing days over the last year! Still the vaccine is going well, England won the Test Match and the days are getting longer!

I came across these old  pictures below. They are pictures of me with Luton players in 2018 and 2019 I had won successive competitions when I had hospitality as part of my season ticket. The first year I predicted the score correctly and the second year I predicted the crowd. One of the pictures was in the match day programme as well -FAME!!!!!

Today’s quiz on Mondays

a)    Solomon Grundy was born on a Monday, but which day was he married?    b) Which cartoon cat has a known disdain for Mondays?  c) If Tuesday’s child is Full of Grace what was Monday’s child?  d) Who said “On Saturday I was a surgeon in South Africa very little known and on Monday I was world renowned” ?  e) Who sang “I Don’t Like Mondays” ?

A Morrissey song for today and probably apt for our world at the moment although I have to say I think he is a bit of an idiot!

We are alternating our exercise at the moment. One day it is a decent walk around Frampton Lakes and the other a cycle. Sometimes we go together but Clare often sends me off on my bike to climb some hills (she thinks I am like a dog who needs his exercise!) So today I found a new road to cycle up (for locals it was Waterley Bottom up to the Old London Road) which was beautiful. The road was muddy so tyres slipped a bit cycling up. It was a narrow road; so when I met a tractor that was coming down with a great bucket in front – there was nowhere to go so I had to drop back down and climb up again! Bike and chain will need yet another clean!

Really chuffed with the Mighty Hatters yesterday-it is good to be able to compete against teams who have just one player that will cost more than our whole squad put together. Yesterday there were three players! Such is the disparity in resources and sadly it slowly destroying football.

Yesterday’s answers from the Flower Quiz 

a) Saffron comes from the crocus    b) Gladiolus is sometimes called the sword lily  c) Daffodils of course inspired “As I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud…..”    d) a perennial is a plant that  lives for more than two years (and beyond)  e) Helianthus is also known as the sunflower!

No quiz today!

Apologies for no blog yesterday! Today’s title reflects I saw Daffodils today (a South facing border) but I haven’t noticed any Snowdrops yet!

We had enjoyable Book Club Zoom on Wednesday discussing Isherwood’s Goodbye to Berlin. I am always pleasantly surprised by the depth of our thoughts on a particular book. One of our group’s grandfather had been in Berlin at the same time as Isherwood!

Have enjoyed the cricket -well done Joe Root and I have football to watch this afternoon. Apprehensive about this one!

Thursday’s Answers on TV

a) Dad’s Army of course was set in Walmington-on-Sea   b) the Prisoner was filmed in Portmeirion in North Wales  c) Kings Landing was the capital of Westeros and filmed in Dubrovnik  d) HMP Slade was the prison in Porridge  e) The Daleks come from Skaro.

Today’s Quiz is on Flowers!

a) Saffron comes from what type of flower?  b) Which flower is sometimes called the sword lily?  c) What flower inspired Wordsworth’s famous poem?  d) What does the term perennial mean?  e) What is the more common name for Helianthus?

Today’s title comes from that delightfully eccentric band The Duckworth Lewis Method and the above song always makes me smile – the song is about that ball of the century bowled by Shane Warne – if you like cricket try and listen to it! I chose that title for today because I watched the Test Match from Sri Lanka this morning. I have to say sitting watching cricket on a dull January morning did my mental health a power of good! Maybe an area for future NHS prescriptions!!!!

Further good news on the sporting front – Chelsea V The Mighty Hatters live on the BBC. Might be a pasting for us but under normal circumstances I would of been there so at least now I will be able to watch it! Better than nothing although obviously it would of been good to be there with thousands of other Hatters.  Luton for the Cup!!!!!

Will write something about last night’s Book Club in tomorrow’s blog.

Yesterday’s Book Quiz answers

a) The Mystery of Edwin Drood was Dickens’ unfinished novel   b) Michael Bond wrote Paddington (I enjoyed the films!)  c) A Study in Scarlet was the first Sherlock story published  c) Frankenstein is the Modern Prometheus  (we did this at Book Club to celebrate the bi-centenary of the publication)   d)   Bill Bryson comes from De Moines.

Today’s Quiz is on TV places

a) Which classic sitcom was set in Walmington -on-Sea ?    b) Where was the Prisoner filmed?  c) What is the capital of Westeros in Game of Thrones?  d) Where was Ronnie Barker in prison in Porridge?   e) What planet do the Daleks come from?

Tonight is sadly another zoom for our Beer and Books group. Although we will tackle our discussion with our customary humour and thoughtful insights I desperately crave the day when we can meet. Normally on alternative months we all contribute with our culinary skills to a wonderful feast themed on the book we will discuss the following month. Verbal asides and gestures don’t really work on Zoom! Having said that we make the best of it! Tonight’s Book is Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood. I was just finishing it last week as the disgraceful scenes were taking place in Washington and these sadly chimed with 1930’s Berlin.  Look forward to what my fellow readers think!

Yesterday’s Quiz answers on the weather

a) Twister is slang for Tornado   b) Nephology is the study of Clouds   c) An anemometer measures wind  (as a former primary school teacher I got quite good at making them!)  d) The troposphere is the lowest layer of the atmosphere   e) Humidity is moisture in the air.

Today’s Quiz is on Books! I know I’ve done it before but hey…..

a) What was the name of Charles Dickens last book that was left unfinished?   b) Who wrote Paddington Bear?   c) In which novel did Sherlock Holmes first appear? d) Which story has the alternative title “The Modern Prometheus”?  e) Which travel writer comes from De Moines, Iowa? 

I knew I should of written this earlier! I have just watched a lacklustre performance from my football team that has darkened my mood significantly! A pity because despite a real soaking on my bike I’ve had a good 24 hours. Had a delightful zoom last night and tried to interact unsuccessfully with my five week old grandson! It was lovely to see his eyes looking at his parents and the lights! Also saw a Bullfinch today -they are lovely colourful birds and one of my favourites. Our perky little Wren has survived the cold spell and very visible in the garden.

Good news the official publishing date for my book is June but likely to be available before then. More about that in future blogs well probably a lot more!

Yesterday’s answers

a)  Cryophobia is not me getting upset watching the Hatters but a fear of the cold!  b) Silver is Ag   c) Cheese and Onion crisps is still the best selling flavour at Walkers d) John Noakes was the longest serving Blue Peter presenter; who can forget “Get Down Shep!”   e) Johnny Cash sang “Ring of Fire”

Today’s Quiz is on Weather as I got soaked!

a) What is the slang term for tornado is also the tile of a 1996 film   b) Nephology is the study of what?  c) What does an anemometer measure?   d) Name the lowest portion of the earth’s atmosphere where nearly all the weather takes place?  e) What name is given to the amount of water vapour present in the air?

I spent this morning working on the web site-just got to sort out pictures now so hopefully you will be able to see in the not to distant future.

Pleased with the cup draw tonight only if I will be able to watch it -so hopefully not on B.T. Sport !!!!!

Today’s Quiz General Knowledge for a change!

a) If you have cryophobia what are you afraid of?  b) What is the chemical symbol for silver?   c) What is the most sold flavour of Walker’s Crisps?  d) Who is the longest serving presenter of Blue Peter? e) Which American singer-songwriter sang of falling into a “Ring of Fire”?