And now we go again...

girlatplay

That's sounds like a really great day out, really interesting and packed lot in.

Sun_Addict

The tour sounds really fascinating, I love anything like that. Well done on the travel savings. 

I really want to get back to doing more yoga. I do struggle with doing any type of exercise that’s slow but I know it’s beneficial. I used to take part in weekly yoga and Pilates classes at work pre Covid. 

EssexHebridean

Makingabobor2 said:

We have often thought about the tours of the underground stations. We love watching the program on Yesterday Channel with Siddy Holloway.  Although sometimes I watch it and say..."ooh I wouldn't like to be down there". I sometimes can feel a bit claustrophobic on the tube. Not my favourite means of transport, but do find all the history and architecture interesting.  Might think about booking one as a surprise for DH this year, I know he would like it. 

This is interesting MAB - I'm very claustrophobic in normal circumstances, I can't do regular journeys on crowded tubes at all as while I can cope for short periods of time and as long as it's not too hot, my coping mechanisms are short-term only. The only tour I've had any sort of problem with at all was the Down Street one as that is the only one where there has been any requirement to stand in complete darkness - something else that I find very challenging. That was dealt with by ensuring that the tour guides knew in advance that I had some concerns, I was escorted all the way round by the back-walker and MrEH kept within close range too - the Hidden London team were really excellent though - the back-walker ensured that I knew things like when the torches might have to be turned off and that sort of thing, and warned me in advance when we were coming into narrower corridors as well. Definitely well worth booking, but just letting the guides know in advance that you are a bit uneasy. Mostly the spaces are larger than you'd expect, and generally speaking well lit as well, which helps. 

Thanks all for dropping in - it's always so lovely to have visitors! 

SA - with yoga I find it is the very fact that it is slower, controlled movements which makes it a challenge for me. Someone once said to me that if you find yoga effortless you're probably doing it wrong, and that makes a huge amount of sense! I also like that it can suit what you feel needs work at the time as well. It can also help with strength, mobility, flexibility or even all three. I completely get where you're coming from though! 

MSE Stuff:
- Remembered to check the council tax stuff last night - we had a payment to make this month, but not in March. So boo and hurrah in equal measure. Had I realised sooner I would probably have thrown some extra payments at it as things went along, but I didn't, so there you go. 
- Discussion about buying some more of the bags of well priced logs concluded that MrEH would check the shed to see what he thinks we have room for, but we reckon at least 4 more bags. 
- we also need to nip and get some more coal on Saturday morning ideally. We'll be sorted for the rest of the winter then I should think. 
- Bank account opened for a "pot" for winter fuel for the fire too. 
- I ran through the up to date budget yesterday - some more tweaking required once we know the new CT amount.
- decision taken to not start a new C0v3ntry Reg saver - the interest rate, while reasonable, isn't *that* good, and there may be better options for at least some of that money at the moment. 
- I am giving serious consideration to ditching my plan for a Lincoln trip for this week as well. Right now the forecast is literally for wall-to-wall heavy rain and frankly I can't see them getting the jets off the ground if that proves to be the case. 
- A bit of a tweak to the meal plan as I'm opting to use sachets of mixed rice/grains for this evening in place of couscous. I'm running low on couscous but have plenty of the sachets in, so this is a decent option. 
- The solar people think that our installation could be a fairly straightforward one, and are hoping they can do a remote survey. I think MrEH and I need to get everything together, set aside weekend time for some photographs, and then see what gives. The remote survey makes me a bit twitchy I have to say. 
- I need to go through the current CC balance and see what needs shuffling from where. Groceries, some "joint fun" spending (beer festival tickets), the solar deposit (that will come from savings) and some household bits all need allocating. 

I finally made a start on my year planner in my journal last night, and will put some time at lunch towards gettiong some more dates entered in to it. I also need to properly go through the airshow calendar and make some decisions on which shows I intend to book for. A big spend coming up there for my Airtattoo ticket (already booked, but not yet paid), and a smaller one as I will probably rejoin the IWM at Duxford - that not only gets me money off their headline airshows, but also access to the smaller "flying days" plus means I can pop into the museum when I fancy, so good value. 

themadvix

We had a remote survey EH - unless it’s a particularly awkward property it should be fine. Ours was a video call though, rather than photos.

LadyWithAPlan

Glad youi had a good day - I too love the refurb of Battersea power station - how they have kept the original fittings etc 
Not done the Baker street tour though that does sound great 

EssexHebridean

Ahh Vix that is reassuring, thank you!
LaPlan we were honestly blown away by Battersea - it's just breathtaking, and really respectfully (to the building, I mean) done! I did go rather mad taking loads of photos, too! 

Just made a technically not-very-MSE skincare purchase - the Cl1n1que cleanser and mascara I love. However, made substantially more MSE by making use of the 20% off offer they have on at the moment - my order was just enough to qualify, spotting that they have a mascara multipack where you get a travel size one alongside a full size for the same price as just the full size on its own would be, and also using the voucher my Mum gave me for part of my Christmas present. Oh, and clicked through TCB so there might be some pennies to come there as well although they may claim that using the gift card invalidates the cashback, we'll see. Cash spend ended up at £24.40 anyway so I'm pleased with that! The cleanser lasts an age anyway, and the mascara will last longer than technically it should...  

Blackcats

Your Hidden London tour sounds really interesting.
When the Churchill Gardens estate was built on the opposite side of the river to Battersea power station it got some of its power directly from the power station.   My dad worked for Westminster council and regularly walked through a tunnel under the river from the power station to the estate.  

I love hearing stories of London from my dad - living and working there from the 1920's to the 2000's gives him such a unique insight.  He was born in Soho in the 1920's just as nearby Chinatown was evolving and had some great experiences with a very cosmopolitan community.

savingholmes

Well done on getting the best deal on things you want anyway rather than buying carp you don't enjoy as much. I like their 72-100hr moisturisers.

EssexHebridean

Oh wow BC - that's fascinating about the tunnel, that was presumably just a private one serving the power station then. I bet it was a bit spooky down there too - the main pedestrian ones at Greenwich/Woolwich are a bit unnerving just because they are so long! 

SH it's the moisture surge moisturiser that I use now which sounds like the one you're referring to as well. I love it - having tried others when times were a bit leaner I ended up with various skin issues including a small patch of psoriasis on one side of my face which I then just couldn't shift for ages - it was going back to the moisture surge that eventually cleared it up, in fact. I haven't strayed away since! 

MSE Stuff:
- It looks like my purchase from yesterday is being treated by TCB as a "new customer" order although I am sure I'd gone through there previously - not complaining though as it's tracked at £3.85 cashback at the moment so hurrah for that! 
- MrEH did indeed go out last night and bought a further 4 bags of the well priced logs - so £64 spent there. He says they still have quite a few bags of them too so I think we will keep an eye over the next few weeks to see if the price drops again. The 4 additional bags are now stashed in the shed anyway.
- The bags from the logs are being carefully folded and saved as I reckon that folded down they will do really well to grow tomatoes in rather than using pots - they're decently strong and because of the way they're made they'll drain OK as well. Debating about what else we may be able to use them for as well. 
- C0v3ntry Reg Saver has now transferred across so that has mostly been shifted to the long term savings pot. £500 of that has gone straight off to pay the deposit on the solar/battery.
- Decision made that the money not going off to a new regular saver now that one has finished will this month be used to cover the logs, then the balance of it will go into the garden pot ready for the works we need done there, as it will save transferring money out of the long term pot later. 
- Banks checked and all good - the secondary Virtual Sealed Pot (for TTs) account is nudging up to it's £100 level at which point it will get transferred over to the main one which earns a little more interest. 
- My car is due it's service and MoT in a month so we're getting that sorted - our friend/mechanic will probably collect it from the rugby club one evening next week. It must have a service this year too as it was skipped based on low mileage last time round! Fingers crossed all will be OK, I'm certainly not aware of any issues.
- Chicken defrosting in the fridge for stir fry tonight. That will use assorted veggies and a pack of the 39p Al's noodles.
- I need to re-jig the meal plan if I am going to be in tomorrow evening although this might be as straightforward as both of us having omelettes - possibly with jacket potatoes. Still undecided about travelling to Lincoln but quite honestly it looks like the chances of the camera even leaving the bag would be tiny. I'll have a natter with C about it later and we'll make a decision. I'd love to go just for a catch up with her, but ultimately I also need to think about the diesel spending.
- Re-joined the Imperial war Museum yesterday as a member and immediately booked the three free-to-members  "flying day" mini airshows they have planned for the season as well. I didn't get to any last season in the end so definitely want to make sure I plan more in this year. £60 spent there which will come from my airshow savings account. Allowing for the flying days, the free museum entry AND the 10% reduction on airshow tickets this works out as good value anyway. 
- For the second month on the trot MrEH's £25 payment across to an account we are no longer using went out - he transferred it back last month but didn't change the SO. I *could* do it for him, but I'm not going to as he dioes have to take some responsibility for stuff like this himself! It will land back in the joint account today as he's logged in to deal with that side of things anyway. A gentle reminder that just canceling the SO will be quicker than having to faff around every month may yet get issued! 

Got a load of washing through yesterday so that was popped on the airer to dry last night. The WM is still hanging on in there - just - but I have now started looking for its replacement which had better be factored in sooner rather than later. I fear that will see off NEXT month's "not going to a Reg Saver" £500 and a bit more besides! Needs doing though, and had better be before the bearings do go completely! Ideally the current one could do with a 90 degree run-through with white vinegar but I'm reluctant to run it other than just for washing loads right at the moment! 

Still keeping up with the yoga - and had a sudden realisation last night that it's now something I'm really looking forward to doing each evening as well. I think the fact that we now have both space for me to do the practise, and space for MrEH to sit comfortably elsewhere has given me a real mind-shift on it now as it no longer feels like something I have to cram in and inconvenience others by doing. I think the fact that her current challenge is also shorter workouts than some have been helps as well - I don't think any of these have been over 30 minutes as yet, although I did go on and add a second shorter session to the end one one last week. 

That's it I think - nothing more to report at the moment! 

EssexHebridean

Morning all - I'm not saying "good" morning because the general sogginess of my legs and feet, and a brief look out of the window confirm that it is most definitely NOT any sort of "good"! the traffic was also grim this morning - although thankfully MrEH was driving which was an improvement - and at least that meant he dropped me off at a slightly closer-to-office point so at least I was only getting damp for fractionally over a mile... 

All feeling fairly uneventful on the MSE type front - I'm not going to do a structured list of stuff around that as it's literally just banks all fine, quick money shuffle for my IWM membership to the CC this morning, all ticking along nicely...I will probably move the chunk of money for the logs over from the joint account to the CC later on as well, and may well spend some time at lunch sorting out the other odds and ends from this week. 

I have officially decided to ditch the Lincoln trip tonight/tomorrow - although sods law may yet strike again as tomorrow's forecast now isn't looking quite as grim as it was...Red 1 certainly seems of the view that there may be little point in me travelling anyway, and he ought to know. They're all very excited at the moment as they got their first "9-ship" formation practise flown yesterday - a real milestone in the year!  Annoyingly it will probably be the very beginning of March before I can reschedule now as I have plans next week, and then I think they're not flying the week after... 

Stuff to do:
- Have already tipped MrEH off that there will be odd jobs to do this evening - notably a bit of washing up, and he's got a wash running during the day so will need to get that to the airer tonight as well, that's rugby kit so he can deal with that! 
- That in turn will also mean that there will be washing to put away - there is already some on the spare room bed from earlier in the week which we've been avoiding looking at anyway! 
- Meal plan & shopping list. 
- Need to put together a list of things I want to get done tomorrow now as well - just odd bits probably but must at least get the steam mop round the floors - upstairs and down. Also want to have another look at sorting things out in the spare room.