Good morning Mick and all GN's on a dark, still and chilly morning from North Yorkshire. Wishing a happy valentines day to everyone.
Usual messy night, and am rather struggling this morning, not helped by a headache and still missing my good glasses , which is definitely not helping. I am reluctantly coming to the conclusion that I cant wait any longer and so on monday, if there is no sign of them I shall have to find the prescription and go back to specsavers for an expensive replacement.
They did say that today should be the best day for weather , but dont know what we will actually get. If we do get some sunshine I will get the picnic box ready and go out to make the most of it, but definitely have all my own food and drinks with me as no doubt everywhere will be full of special (expensive) valentines offers and booked up .
Yesterday was a mixture. I was definitely not 100% and sounded croakier than usual. My first meeting for the Talking Newspaper was at 1pm, and I hoped that it was being led by a lady I already knew from Upfront, who would know my normal speaking voice. So the morning was filled with everyday jobs,making shopping lists for later and getting myself ready to look reasonably tidy and efficient with note book and phone at the ready. I managed most things, but my hair was a pain, and despite brushing it and dampening it down etc., chose this day to be fly away and refusing to look at all neat or tidy. When I have not been well, it is always my hair that shows the truth , however well I can disguise other parts.
Got to the meeting ok, and there were quite a large group of people there. Three of them were people involved with running the group, admin and editorial and someone who was there to explain overall set up and their plans for changes in website and how content is provided . Then there were two people who are already readers at the moment, who were therein a double capacity. To give us some idea of what they did and how it works in practical, but they were also there to see the new web and learn what changes are planned for the future.
An interesting group of newbies, with wideranging backgrounds, and reasons for wanting to be involved. So from a lady who had lived in south africa for many years, a social worker who wants to fill in a gap in her knowledge having done more work with hearing needs ,who knows Makaton and BSL, which I have noted, for hopefully later at some time to do a bit of practise myself. A library worker ,who is involved with the scheme already etc etc.
It turned out that I provided the "antique" part to the scheme.! We went round and gave potted histories and our involvement in talking newspapers so far. One of the staff group talked of it beginning in the 1970's and the changes that have gone on from there and how people now receive their copies , whether by web or now quite a lot on alexa etc etc. I then told them of my first involvement in the process, which was indeed in the 1970's, where we met at the library, sorted out our specific articles, stuck them to cartridge paper, with corrections and crossings out, so that when you read them, they did not add rustlings and cracklings to the recording, with our own sound engineer, and read into a microphone, with him getting us to re record any muffled sentences. Quite a change to the situation today, and so the reading holds no worries for me, but I will have to be shown how to use zoom or find out how good my laptop is for recording stuff.
It was all very interesting and everyone there was keen to belong. Their paper is no longer every week but goes out over a longer period, so that technically you need to be aware of the timings of things, so no good talking of something happening which will have finished before they get their copy. So it is now more divided to news over a specific area, and then a separate "magazine" part which can range from historical interests in the area, to specific local happenings etc. They are now trying to update things and get more people using ways to input things that will save time, make it more efficient and cover things like readers being away on holiday etc so having some stand ins.
This hopefully should work to our advantage, as being newbies on the plot, we will be shown the latest up to date version, and wont have to convert from older styles. So fortunately for me they are still sorting the new bits with their editor and sound engineer and it will give me time to catch up on how to use zoom or whatever they want me to use and have a little go before I manage to make a fool of myself by forgetting to use mute or press the wrong thing and cut people off!
I came out from the meeting feeling very positive. It will be good to be part of the scheme again and able to contribute . It links in from many years ago when I think my first involvement with charities for blind or impaired vision, was raising money for Guide dogs for the Blind. After much fundraising a la Blue Peter , my class and parents and friends raised enough for the cost of a guide dog, and a little later ,my friends and I in a choir raised enough for half a guide dog! So as my life went on wherever I have lived, there has always been some involvment in whatever was possible that fitted into my life, and again Covid had caused that gap as there was no way to meet up and do things and so it all lapsed.
I was then asked by someone else to give an interview for the car scheme as a user when I went for a cataract operation. They provide cars for such as hospital appointments or going to places that may be difficult to reach especially for early appointments from up the dales etc. But they also want to show this sort of one off appointment, where you normally can drive yourself but of course not when you are having anything done to your eyes etc. So am checking the diary and that will be another little thing next week sometime.
I went on from there to get my shopping, which diminished my pleasant mood quite quickly! Unavailable stock, no local newspapers left etc etc and the worst bit of news was that my specific brand of ground coffee had none at all available and had not had any for a few days, and when I asked a staff member to check, she informed me that they had none in store, and that they were no longer going to get that but a different one. Oh yes and that the price of £3.60 - which I thought was quite enough as it is - would be going up to £4 something for the replacement. That brought me down with a bump and I was glad to get home and have a restoring coffee while I still have some of my favourite blend!!
Watched a bit of the olympics ,especially the great snowboarding and that was about it for the day, and so today it is catching up with bits and pieces, getting the Yorkshire post and if it is good weather I will go out to enjoy a little time in the countryside, if bad weather I shall curl up here and do some reading and get the Makaton book out,to do some practise and see how much I have remembered. Think that I may concoct some curry this morning before going out , as I think it is better for a rest after you make it before you reheat it. I have a few veg at the ready and a celery that wants using up and they can all be chucked into the mix and see how it goes.
Hope you have a good trip to Bicester Mick. Hope the day warms up for you GrandMattie. Hope the day stays well for you too Gillymo, Ashcombe thanks for the reminder. I must get my passport out and check the end date. Think it is ok but better to check now than be in a flap later on.
Well fingers crossed I am pleased to say that although it does look flipping cold not a sign of rain so time to get myself sorted, picnic box at the ready, and pick up the paper on my way out . I will actually be warmer in the car than in here as the car heater is very good! No good thinking of going up the dales as there has been snow and floods etc but I will do a weather and road check and might even get to the coast. Hurrah for a chance to break out wherever I end up.
Wishing you all a good weather day, no rain and a chance to be in touch with those you love. Enjoy your day