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News from Winchester 1-10-1995 on a coldish but sunny Autumn evening. The clocks are back an hour so getting up is easier but the sun is now going down an hour earlier, bummer.

Well, the week of unemployment is drawing to a close and it’s back to work tomorrow. The main activity this week has been house hunting, with a splash of museums thrown in for good measure and a bit of carpet cleaning to keep me fit and healthy.

Over last weekend, we had Dad staying over recuperating after his tough wood working courses with Stuart and all that shopping for the various pieces of workshop equipment which he still does not own. On Saturday, Dad helped me with the strengthening of the bike rack attachment for the car, now it should be strong enough for four bikes, plus their riders. The lights are still a problem though, although we narrowed the problem down to a problem with the BMW rather than with the trailer light fittings. Not wanting to venture into the maze of German mastery, I will be handing the problem over to Wiggins (BMW agents) in the next few weeks when the car goes in for it’s service.

On Sunday we drove through to Bristol and then on to the Seven Estuary for lunch at a great pub. Potato, Leek and Stilton Pie for me, Veg Ratatui for Maggie and the kids had their favourite pub food, Fish Fingers, Chips and Baked Beans. We caught the start and then restart of the Portuguese Grand Prix and the followed the rest of it and the Rider Cup on the radio during the journey back to Winchester.

On Monday, I took the train to London and lost myself in the Imperial War Museum. Just a few hours shopping at Hamleys and various book shops before it was time to head for home again. The Museum was great and had been totally redone since I was last there in 1976. Of course there was also some Falklands stuff and references to Bosnia which came along after ’76.

Other museums visited during the week, were the Army Air Museum at Middle Wallop and the Green Jackets, Light Infantry and Gurka museums in Winchester. All were great, if you are into that kind of thing of course.

Tuesday started the great house hunt, lots of driving around and then walking around houses in the area. Most of them were in the sub 150,000 area, but some tempted us which were more in the 165,000 bracket. We thought we had found the one for us, then we found it again, then again, then found one which was definitely not for us, then found one which we rather liked. On Wednesday we continued the quest, finding even more houses which were ideal for us, and a few which weren’t. In the end we were totally exhausted and I guess we want to have the one house, with a few extra rooms from the other, and oh, if you could put it all on the grounds of that one we would be most obliged.

I guess we have some more looking to do, but are starting to get the feel of it now, and can spot a good house and are learning to discern the bad points which are polished up in the specs. The beat one which tickled us was being told by an agent that the house had a wonderful view overlooking the sweeping M3 motorway. Yea great !!

The kids came along to see a house in South Wonston with us on Friday evening, basically a five bedroomed ex-semi which was constructed by joining together two 3 bedroomed traditional British semi’s. It was quite a nice house, and the kids loved it, but it is still not “the perfect house” so the quest continues.

During the week I found out that Microsoft has delayed the shipping of Visual Basic version 4.0 because they are straining with keeping up with shipments of Windows ’95. But I should get it soon and should just wait. Like I have an option. Novaback for Windows ’95 did arrive though, and we now have a decent long file name backup on DAT tape of our computer at last. Unfortunately, the 1.6Gb DAT tape which was always sufficient for backing up the C: and D: drives which total 1.5Gb is now insufficient with the drives being double-spaced and now holding more. So the backup extends over two tapes. I have started a pruning exercise to try and keep the growth down to manageable proportions. I have also managed to get connected to the Internet via the Windows ’95 dial in rather than Winsock and I must say, the Windows Internet explorer seems much faster than Netscape or Mosaic. I still haven’t found out how to start the connection without starting the Internet Explorer though, so if anyone knows which EXE it is, please let me know.

Windows ’95 hint of the week, try mucking about with the c:\windows\sendto directory (sorry folder), putting various other EXE’s and shortcuts to folders into it. This allows you to then right click on a file and “Send it to” a text editor, or to a folder. I am really into this new GUI. Going back to OS/2 is going to be a drag tomorrow, and Amipro after spending the week bashing out letters to the likes of the French Embassy and Standard Bank not to mention a few invoices to Cray and this eMail/FAX to family and friends --- where was I now, oh yes after using Word (’95 or version 7.0) Amipro is going to be a right let down.

We have tracked down a cycle club in Winchester via the Internet and a British Cycle club which organises tours to foreign countries including South Africa. So watch out Southern Life “Soft Things” cycle team, you could see some stiff competition soon, especially in the “trick cycling” category (aka falling off section). In preparation for next years Argus and to try and slim down this gorgeous figure of mine, I went out and bought Winter cycling clothes so that I can begin cycling to work again.

The kids are progressing with their various musical mis-adventures, and with a few hours homework reading per night, they are both much improved at with that as well. Nicky returned from a sleep over with friends at a camping site near Reading. Pity it rained last night, but they seemed to have enjoyed themselves immensely anyway. Nicky bought a Ghost story book for Victoria as a birthday present and they all scared themselves by reading it out loud late on Saturday Night with the trees rustling overhead and bits of twigs dropping down onto the tent.

Finally we get to the carpet cleaning part of the news which has left me with sore knees and washed out hands (oh my delicate skin you understand). Actually the carpets look quite nice now, and the front door is blocked by shoes as no one is allowed to walk on them with shoes. At least for a while anyhow.

The European Grand Prix (in Germany) is over and Deuchland uber alles etc etc. It was a great race, pity that prat Hill had to try a spot of cross country and then argue with the tyre barriers. Pity to that Alesi (? Sp and Word doesn’t help with this one) couldn’t hold out a bit longer, I really wanted a Ferrari win.

Tomorrow it’s back to work but with a £3.00 per hour bigger smile than before and with £7500 in the bank for my VB efforts.

Cheers everyone, have a great fun filled week.

A bit added by Tarryn for everyone’s enjoyment :

I’m enjoying school a lot.

I am sorry that I forgot about the letter.

I LOVE YOU LOTS AND LOTS.

Give my love to everyone.

A bit added on by Nicky.

On Saturday, I went on a camping party.

Well, that was short and to the point. No fear of clogging up the internet with that.

Cheers all,

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