Every cloud has a silver lining ...

Yesterday morning we travelled to Birmingham to look for a bathroom cabinet for our newly refurbished bathroom, and to pick up a new lens for the camera. We didn’t have any luck with the cabinet, although in hindsight the city centre probably wasn’t the right place to go. We did get lucky with the lens - a good price, with some extras thrown in – or so we thought!

On our way home we decided to take a route via the new John (never knowingly undersold) Lewis which has recently opened in Tamworth. I love JL and could browse for hours! Again no luck with the cabinet, but we did pick out a voile panel and a couple of café curtain poles to dress the velux window in the bathroom.

I’m very disappointed that when I find one of those special bubbly de-corkers that Jean wrote about a few weeks ago, Tim thinks it’s another unnecessary gadget. Surprisingly I listen, and meekly put it back. So now I’ll have to make another journey back to JL to buy it!!

The difficulty with the bathroom cabinet is due to the sloping ceiling where the cabinet will be sited, over the sink. It needs to be the correct size, with a mirror and light. I would also like it to be made from oak. I have scoured the shops, and the internet, and can’t find anything that matches our requirements.

We arrive home, and after a late lunch get ready for a long walk to try out the lens. The lens in the bag isn’t the one we bought - something to do with image stabilisation! We quickly ring the shop, who firstly can find no record of us buying the lens, but then agree to get the lens sent, at their expense, to our local shop. They are also persuaded (aka arm twisted) to give us £25 vouchers ‘for our trouble’.

Last night we try for hours, unsuccessfully, to get our LoveFilm subscription to stream through Tom’s PS3. We kept being told that our user name or password were incorrect. Of course they were correct, but we gave up and watched Casualty instead. Another exciting Saturday evening!

This morning Tim put up the curtain rails and we find that the voile panel isn’t the correct length…

Still, every cloud has a silver lining. When I change the voile panel I can pick up a bubbly de-corker or two at the same time!

STOP PRESS - Jean's gadget is different, and probably better, so I'll wait until I can find one. Isn't it lucky that I allowed Tim to persuade me not to buy it ....

Been there, done that and bought the t-shirt ...

Last Saturday was a really good day! The week at work had been busy, fraught and emotional, and I was in need of a relaxing day. Tim was at a conference so I decided to drive to Bridgemere garden centre in Cheshire, which is about 20 miles away.

I always have a good time there and bought a couple of plants. I am overrun with lavender in France but the hard winter in the UK devastated the ones in my garden. So I bought some French Stoechas (Anouk). 



  In the evening Tim, Tom and I went to the LG Arena at the NEC in Birmingham to see James Taylor in concert. More about the concert another day, but here is just a taster.

He was absolutely phenomenal - praise indeed! What do you think?

His band was made up of very accomplished musicians and singers, but for me the very best bits were when it was just James, his voice and his guitar.

The lady singing along with him is most definitely NOT me - a friend seemed to think that she sounded like me. Do you think she is trying to tell me something!!! 
I don't know who she is, but I wouldn't advise her to audition for Britain's Got Talent anytime soon. However she was obviously 'in the zone' and enjoying herself.

So, to go back to where I started... been there, done that and bought the t-shirt...