More Strictly! Rory & Erin and Nancy & Anton were in the bottom two last week and Rory got voted off. Shame really, he did such a wonderful quickstep the week before.  Still, the show goes on, here's what happened this week: 

It was a Halloween Special so lots of scary makeup, spooky costumes & creepy themes.
Russell & Flavia did a samba to a Kylie number. It was OK, but a bit lacklustre after all the It Takes Two hype during the week, "I am Samba". Good bounce action but...(score 22)
Chelsee & Pasha did an excellent tango to Love Potion No. 9, she got very upset at the end because of a wardrobe malfunction, it just looked like she lost the bow on the strap of her halterneck dress, but I think she was worried that she'd flashed one of her massive bazoombas! But she hadn't! Bruce was sweet, he chucked her under the chin to cheer her up! Aww! (score 32)
Audley & Natalie did a jive to the Little Shop of Horrors song, it was great fun but not really his dance, kicks & flicks non-existent. (score 20)
Alex & James did a paso doble, she was wearing virginal white & James was Count Dracula, very good effort with lots of drama, though a bit too much frock wafting! (score 31)
Holly & Artem did a beautiful American Smooth to Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, just beautiful, my favourite dance of the night. They both looked amazing. (score 35)
Nancy & Anton did a rumba, I thought she did OK but the judges hated it. I loved Anton appearing from under all the floor level smoke!  lol (score 14)
Harry & Aliona did a tango to Psycho Killer - a great tune. It was a good story too, well acted. But not enough tango content. They only did about 20 seconds in hold. I'm really not keen on Aliona's choreography. Let's see him dance! He's so good when he does! (score 34) Alesha gave him another 10...hmm.
Robbie & Ola did a paso doble to Michael Jackson's Bad, very entertaining, good cape work but technique needed honing. They should have been closer together in hold and there was rather too much crotch-clutching on Robbie's part.
(score 26)
Anita & Robin did a tango to Cliff's Devil Woman. It was very good with lots in hold (which pleased Len!) and she was very devilish! Her top line needs a bit of attention though. (score 31)
Lulu & Brendan did a paso doble to Highway to Hell, it started and finished with Lulu flying over the stage on wires (she was a bat!) I loved it! And she didn't go wrong! (score 29)
Jason & Kristina did a quickstep to Bewitched, a brilliant routine, he's such a showman! Loved Kristina's nose wiggle! (score 37) Alesha gave him a 10 too!

Back at the top of the leaderboard:
Jason and Kristina – 37
Holly and Artem – 35
Harry and Aliona – 34
Chelsee and Pasha – 32
Alex and James – 31
Anita and Robin – 31
Lulu and Brendan – 29
Robbie and Ola – 26
Russell and Flavia – 22
Audley and Natalie – 20
Nancy and Anton – 14

I wonder who'll get voted off this week!

Look at this lovely photo I found on t'internet!  I've always wanted a bougainvillea, but realise that it would never survive in our windy non-Mediterranean climate.  So, all I need now is a conservatory to grow it in, a few cushions, a couple of chichi beaded lamps, some fairy lights and I could be lounging in this very photo!  Tra-la!

We've decided to get our bathroom made more disabled-friendly.  It's going to be a kind of wet-room with non-slip flooring, grab rails & a shower seat for Steve that folds up against the wall.  Walls will be white tiles but with a border.  Much like this photo but with more border...

We've decided against those half-way up doors that usually feature in disabled bathrooms, we're just having long shower curtains.   So maybe more like this...

Anyhoo, I've seen some lovely mosaic tiles for the border (I do love mosiac) and, once I've got rid of this rotten cold, I intend taking my flooring sample along to Topps Tiles in the hope that they match nicely!  It's the blue & aqua ones that I have my eye on...

I have a choice of two for the flooring: this is the "marine"...

 

..and this is the "sheared slate"...

 

I'm thinking the "marine" may look a bit too dark, I'm hoping the "sheared slate" is more aqua than grey - doesn't "sheared slate" sound grey to you?   Does to me.  However, the flooring has a touch of glitter which I like, it makes it less "hospital".

The shower curtains will have to be extra long - 210-220 cm drop, and here's the rub.  I've had a quick look on t'internet and the extra long ones seem to come in white...or white.  Argh!  I currently have a lovely shower curtain like this in lemon & peach...

 

Not sure I can bear plain white! 

More Strictly!  Dan & Katya got voted out last week, meh...  So another dance last night..

Jason & Kristina did a paso doble, they've been top of the leader board for the first 3 weeks so I was expecting a lot but, although it was an excellent performance, there wasn't much paso technique.  It was a bit disappointing.  (score 27)
Alex & James did a rumba and very romantic it was too.  Not much hip action but lovely arm movements.  Judge Craig only gave it a 4!  Shocking!  (score 25) James gave the judges a bit of lip...well, Craig was quite rude, he said Alex was  "sexless, cold & stiff". 
Rory & Erin did a chacha.  A very good effort but he looked a bit, sort of, resigned, if you see what I mean. Like he was resigned to making a hash of it.  But he didn't!  Another 4 from Craig though!  (score 24)
Audley & Natalie did a foxtrot, he did a lovely job, neat footwork but you could see him concentrating!  Relax Audley! (I know, s'alright for me, sat on my sofa!)(score 25)
Nancy & Anton did a paso doble too, actually I rather enjoyed it!  She's a bit stompy & floppy but there were some great lifts!  Though how come Craig didn't tear Anton off a strip like he did Brendan last week?  In-con-sis-tant dahhhling! (score 18)
Lulu & Brendan did a samba...great fun, it really suited her but still a bit all-over-the-place. But they ran halfway up the stairs part way through the routine.  Why? (score 25)
Holly & Artem did a viennese waltz, lovely & fluid but too much pole dancing (they had 3 lamp posts as props) and not enough waltzing.  It could have been beautiful, she's really good. (score 30)
Chelsee & Pasha did a Quickstep.  Really excellent!  I loved the air hostess theme.  (score 36)
Harry & Aliona did a waltz - it started beautifully, my heart was in my mouth..THEN they stopped dancing and trotted up the stairs to do a bit of play-acting and didn't bother dancing again - well, it seemed that way.  I was as cross as Len was! (score 35) Though he shouldn't have blamed Harry, it was Aliona's choreography!  Judge Alesha gave it a 10!  What!  Give over!!
Anita & Robin did an American Smooth.  Very sophisticated with a glamorous 40s moviestar vibe but she needed to point her feet more in the lifts. (score 32)
Robbie & Ola did a jive, very entertaining but the kicks and flicks were a bit strange (years of kicking other footballers' shins probably) (score 27)
Russell & Flavia did a tango. I loved the dream theme - nightmare theme!  ha ha - to Eurythmics Sweet Dreams.  I'm liking him more each week. And I love Flavia! (score 24)

Leaderboard:
Chelsee and Pasha – 36
Harry and Aliona – 35
Anita and Robin – 32
Holly and Artem – 30
Jason and Kristina – 27
Robbie and Ola – 27
Alex and James – 25
Audley and Natalie – 25
Lulu and Brendan – 25
Rory and Erin – 24
Russell and Flavia – 24
Nancy and Anton – 18

I didn't vote again so it'll be my fault if someone I like gets voted off!  lol

Did a bit of DIY yesterday, I hang my beads & necklaces from hooks on the side of the wardrobe and the hooks had fallen off, so I've had to make with the No More Nails.  Here are my beads back where they belong....

More Strictly last night - with a Broadway theme:
Holly & Artem did a tango with music from Chicago, she looked the part wearing a sexy outfit & I liked the beginning bit in the cage but she's a bit laid-back, needs to give it some oomph. (judges score 30)
Dan & Katya did a Viennese waltz to some Freddie Mercury music, it was OK, not as romantic as it could have been.  Footwork was good but it didn't excite me. (score 24)
Anita & Robin did a jive from Hairspray.  Very good performance, I had to get up & join in!  Needed sharper flicks & kicks though. (her & me!) (score 27)
Alex & James did a lovely Viennese waltz to music from Cats, just beautiful, very graceful. (score 32)
Rory & Erin did a quickstep, really rather good, very stylish & suave. (score 31)
Lulu & Brendan did a Phantom of the Opera rumba, really lovely, very elegant and fluid. (score 26)
Nancy & Anton did a tango (not sure of the musical) and she was MUCH better than the last two weeks, I rather enjoyed it! (score 20)
Audley & Natalia also did a quickstep to music from Kiss Me Kate, he's very light on his feet and has such a lovely smile. (score 24)
Robbie & Ola also did a tango to music from Abba, very good, full of attack and intensity. (score 30)
Russell & Flavia did a foxtrot to Rain On My Parade, it was wonderful!  What really made me laugh was Craig Revel-Horwood's comment at the end of it..."I'd suggest a more masculine approach to this paaarticular daaance...." and Sir Bruce says "Hark at the kettle!".....I was hooting with laughter, just SO funny...(score 28)
Jason & Kristina..oh wow!  They did a tango to Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive from Priscilla Queen of the Desert (which Jason has been in).  Just Superb! Stu-Pen-Dus! (score 36)
Chelsee & Pasha did a cha-cha - very good too, much less frenetic than usual. (score 30)
Harry & Aliona did a jive to Greased Lightening - excellent!  His best dance yet.  (score 33)

Leaderboard:
Jason and Kristina – 36
Harry and Aliona ­– 33
Alex and James – 32
Rory and Erin – 31
Holly and Artem – 30
Chelsee and Pasha – 30
Robbie and Ola – 30
Russell and Flavia – 28
Anita and Robin – 27
Lulu and Brendan – 26
Dan and Katya – 24
Audley and Natalie – 24

I recorded the programme as we were out socialising so I didn't vote.  But who to vote for?  I loved Alex & James, Lulu & Brendan, Robbie & Ola, Russell & Flavia and Jason & Kristina.  Looking forward to seeing Robbie do a paso doble....

Lovely weather at the moment, warm & sunny today and the wind we've had the past few days has dropped (hoorah!).  Must get out into the garden, begonia tubers to dig up & store, tomato plants to get rid of, shrubs to move whilst the earth's still warm, lavender & hebes to prune, leaves to sweep up...

Talking of the garden...it's still blooming out there...

penstemon

rose

passionflower

Time for a whinge.....I had to ring the hospital in London for another appointment for Steve, she offered me 8.30 in the morning..."could we have a later time?"  Latest they can offer is 9.40 a.m.  "Do you have to come far?" she says, "Yes." sez I. 

So choices are:
1) get a rush hour train around 7.40 a.m., with the motorised scooter, remembering of course that we can't travel on the more convenient C2C into Fenchurch Street Station (even though they have a special wheelchair carriage 'cos they won't take motorised ones) but have to go into Liverpool Street Station on a train that WILL transport a motorised scooter but which barely has room for it - it takes up about a quarter of the lobby bit where the doors are.  And it's a real small one that dismantles into 4 pieces to go in the boot of the car.  Perhaps if I could find a big enough suitcase, I could drag it on as hand luggage.  Whilst supporting Steve with my other hand as he can't walk on his own.  IN THE RUSH HOUR!  (I speak from experience being a seasoned commuter).

                                                

2)  Ring her back for an early appointment and get a train around 6.30 a.m. thus avoiding the rush hour.  That'd mean we'd have to get up at 5.30 a.m. <shudder> 

3)  Book an overnight stay in a Travelodge disabled room like we did last time.  Although having just looked on the website, it's gone up from the £79 a night we paid in May to £109 a night.  Without breakfast!!!    Arrgh!

Change of subject....Strictly Come Dancing!  Last Saturday night we had:
Chelsee & Pasha doing a salsa - and very good it was too, great "armography" (judges' score 29).  She was wearing a lovely pair of fringed trousers which succeeded in taking the attention away from her pneumatic bouncing bosom (quite a feat).
Edwina & Vincent did a foxtrot, nice but too much faffing about to begin with. (score 19)
Audley & Natalie did a salsa, lots of energy and I love his smile.  (score 23)
Alex & James did a superb foxtrot, a couple of wobbles but so stylish & glamorous.  She was wearing a wonderful pink dress with lots of godets (panels like kick pleats but more of them) with red net underneath, a wonderful pink lipstick and had a wonderful curly Hollywood hairdo. (score 29)
Dan & Katya did a salsa, lots of great lifts but not much hip action on his part. (score 21)  He seems a bit arrogant, like he thinks he's great when actually he's alright but...
Lulu & Brendan performed a foxtrot, she was SO much better than last week, it was a lovely routine and she remembered it all.  Though she did tend to stare at eye-level into his chest rather than up into his face. (score 25)
Holly & Artem did an excellent salsa, she is very good but slightly ever-so restrained. (score 30)
Rory & Erin also did a salsa, lots of energy & shimmying but Rory's hip action was a bit limp. (score 22)
Robbie & Ola's foxtrot...WOW!  What a performance!  Very showbiz and really good footwork, shocked how good he was & pleased.  (score 29)
Anita & Robin did a wonderful salsa, she's just LOVING it, strange costume but I was up on my feet with them!  Superb!  (score 28)
Jason & Kristina did a very classy foxtrot, he's such a great performer, it was very well acted, he was in character from the start, before the start even! (score 33)  I'm very pleased for Kristina, in the past she's had the lumbering Joe Calzaghe (bless his cottons), John Sargent (less said the better) and Goldie (out first week if I remember rightly).  This year she's really lucked out!
Nancy & Anton did a salsa, she was kind of stomping about and throwing herself at Anton for the lifts, sort of climbing on him.  It was a rather amusing routine but I don't think it was supposed to be. (score 14)  I loved the VT from It Takes Two when Anton mentioned the coach to take everyone to... Blackpool I suppose..and Nancy says "a coach!  Oh no!" with a horrified expression on her face. LOL  Daaarling, I'm sure she only ever travels in a chaffeured limousine! 
Harry & Aliona did a lovely foxtrot, his footwork & leading were very good, but he was a bit hunched over - his posture needs work!  (score 27)  Aliona made some comment on It Takes Two about not taking any notice of the judges' comments - I thought it would come back to bite her and it did! Good ole Len!
Russell & Flavia did a salsa to Abba's Dancing Queen!  He got a standing ovation!  Len said he put the "boy" in "flamboyant"!  Excellent!

Edwina & Vincent were the couple voted off - shame, I'll miss Vincent. 

Strictly part two:-
Jason Donovan was the star of the show with a superb cha-cha.  I do wonder whether he has a bit of an advantage, being a stage performer.  We'll see.
Harry Judd did a good cha-cha but was a bit too precise and "placed". 
Rory Bremner did a graceful waltz and smiled throughout!  A very good impression of Fred Astaire!
Chelsee Healey shows promise, she did a waltz, nice arm extensions but kept tottering after her spins so a few balance issues.  I can't help finding her trout pout very off-putting. 
Alex Jones made a good effort at a cha-cha, good arm placement but hip movement & steps a bit iffy.
Edwina Currie enjoyed her cha-cha hugely, she was great fun but rather flat-footed.
Nancy Dell'Olio attempted a waltz, way too much sitting down & role playing to start with, then when she did get to her feet she got caught up in her feather boa for what seemed like an eternity.  After she got rid of it, Anton just kind of twirled her around a bit 'til the 90 seconds was up.  She hardly did any dancing, it was a bit of a disaaaaster, daaahling!

I don't have a favourite yet.  Looking forward to next week, a salsa or a foxtrot!

Strictly Come Dancing 2011 has officially started.  They showed the first seven celebrity dancers last night (Friday) and seven more tonight then it settles into it's usual Saturday slot.  So here's my impressions:

I can't remember what order they danced in but I do remember first on the floor was:
Holly Valance, she and Artem did a very good cha-cha, could've been a bit crisper with her footwork. She was joint first with the judges.  As was...
..Anita Dobson, who did a waltz with her partner Robin and did it beautifully, very graceful with lovely arm extensions.
Dan Lobb also did a waltz, very well I thought, nice frame and elegant too. Russell Grant did a cha-cha, very camp but a good effort, he looked like he was enjoying it hugely, apart from a section towards the end when he had that "rabbit in the headlights look".  His partner is Flavia Cacace - I love her!
Audley Harrison did a waltz, he is SO big & tall but graceful and remarkably light on his feet (maybe the boxing?). Plus he has a lovely smile!
Robbie Savage did a cha-cha, well, he posed a lot whilst his partner Ola twirled about around him!  Not much dancing but he really attacked the routine. 
Lulu got the lowest score with the judges.  She did a cha-cha too, it was GREAT fun, she is such a performer but she was making it up as she went along!  She must've forgotten half the routine.  Poor Brendan!  Goodness knows how she'll cope with learning a new dance every week! 

Still, she has my sympathy, my memory's rubbish, I often trot up the stairs purposefully, and stand at the top thinking "what did I come up here for?"

We've been baking this week.  The lady owner of our holiday cottage in Norfolk let me fill a carrier bag with apples from her garden so I made an apple crumble, an apple cake, and some apple & blackberry turnovers and Steve made a tarte tatin.  Most of it's been put in the freezer but we ate the turnovers & half the apple cake.

Apple cake...yum, yum!

October 1st today and we're having a wonderful Indian Summer, very hot with clear blue skies and no breath of a breeze at all, not even here by the sea.


We had a week away in Norfolk mid-September, hired a cottage for a change, so we were able to get out & about in the car.  Visited Gooderstone Water Gardens, Swaffham, East Dereham, Wells-next-the-sea, Hunstanton (wonderful beach!) and Kings Lynn where my great-great-grandpa Thompson was born in 1822.  He was a master mariner so I had to check out the various quays on the Great Ouse river, I could well have trod in his very steps.

Ducks on a pond (in the style of Monet)
and, no, not photo-shopped though I did use Picnik to make it smaller & more blog-friendly

Gooderstone Water Gardens

Gooderstone Water Gardens



Wells-next-the-sea



Hunstanton beach

St. Margaret's Kings Lynn
where my great-great-grandparents were married on 13th February 1845

 



Great Ouse River, Kings Lynn



Kings Lynn

Great-great-grandpa Thompson