Cool stuff

A cool day in Portsmouth, cool in many senses, but not wet enough. It seems that this part of the country hasn't had enough rain, there are water restrictions in parts of Surrey and Sussex and Gatwick airport cannot be cleaned properly.

Yesterday we bought food. We bought more food. In the afternoon I went round the corner to the co-op (supermarket) to buy wine. As I stepped out of Austen and Sue's little street I ran into someone I used to work with. Hugs, kisses, swapping of news. Proceeded to the shop. A man rushed up and tried to sell me BT services.
'Ah, I live in Vancouver, Canada,' I said, and usually this is enough, but in this case not.
'Oh, I used to live in Kitsilano,' he said, 'paid $350 a month rent...' and thus it went on for a goodly twenty minutes whilst potential customers came, passed by and escaped.
When I stepped outside the shop I was immediately starstruck. To many people David Wells would fly below the radar, but to me, star that he is of one of my very favourite TV shows, 'Most Haunted', I did just gaze.

Co-incidences over, we went to Simmi and Eilie's for the evening. There were many old friends, some new ones, always the way at their house. We had the most fantastic evening. The picture above is of our friend Chris, who has been nominated for a teaching award and he deserves it too.

A bloke who Chris works with was telling us about his time in Toronto, and so the conversation, or our bit of it, wandered to North America in general, then Simmi remembered a Christmas in Portsmouth when the Canadian fleet was in port. Yes, both Kevin and I asked whether it was the whole ship. The good people of Portsmouth were asked if they would 'adopt' a Canadian sailor over the Christmas period and Simmi's family were only too pleased to do so. The able seaman, or whatever the Canadian equivalent is, brought presents for the family and he turned up every day over the season to spend time with them. To me, that was just a very Pompey thing to happen.

We left at around two, by which time Kevin was a bit the worse for wear, but like the true Canadian that he is, he was up in time to go to the butcher's with Austen and the kids this morning.

Today, Holly is wearing full West Ham football strip with her surname printed across the back. Yep, it's all about the football here right now - like it ever isn't. In Debenhams there were babygros with 'Come on England' on them, edible tanga briefs and posing pouches, oh and also bras with the English flag picked out in sweeties. Retailers are going to bloody well make their money before England is out.

Still...who knew that last year they'd win the ashes, and although the country is never prepared for the unusual weather conditions associated with autumn, winter and summer, I have absolutely no doubt that there are retail contingency plans for an English win. I hope the health service is prepared too.