RR Challenge: A Rolls-Royce competition for children.
RR Challenge
Rolls-Royce challenges young minds to design their own luxury car.
Well here we are at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars where Andrew works. He has a real job to do in these troubled times and so it’s over to Andrew.
Making Movies – A Trip Down Memory Lane.
Making Movies.
“Tim has given me the task of choosing ten albums that greatly influenced my taste in music. One album per day, for ten consecutive days. No explanation, no reviews, just covers.” More than one Tim, actually.
This was the Facebook challenge presented to Bobby one day. Just the one album. Totally naff idea, he thought. For what is the point without any kind of explanation? But he complied. Posted it in the wrong place and thought… there is an explanation and it will be shared on Mindfully Bertie.
Making Movies
EP by the Sea.
EP by the Sea.
With time on our hands we thought our readers might like a regular mid week short story.
Here is the first one, written by Andrew (Bobby’s son).
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The Day They Cut the Moon Daisies Down.
Moon Daisies.
Corr… I dunno. I have never seen him so bleedin angry. Smashing the front door shut and storming upstairs to vent his wrath on the computer keys. I hid inside Bobby 2 with the other bears and hoped he would calm down.
Next thing he is shouting on the telephone and we stayed where we were. Eventually he did calm down came downstairs looking a little forlorn.
“Wotsa matter, Bobby?” I asked, nervously.
“THEY CUT THE BLEEDIN MOON DAISIES DOWN.” (more…)
Covid-19 Guided Walk for One. Number 1: Denbies Hillside Nature Trail.
Number 1: Denbies Hillside Nature Trail
Dear friends
We live in strange times. It seems only right that Mindfully Bertie should bring you some sunshine. There has been plenty this week as we write this. At present, the government is allowing us one walk, cycle ride a day. We thought you could use your daily walk with a guide in beautiful places. So this is our attempt to do just that. Possibly one per fortnight, knowing full well that none of us know what tomorrow brings. Even if the walk is not possible in a few days time, you can keep it for the future or walk it virtually through the pictures. And good luck to us all. (more…)
Room 311
Room 311
Back in January 2016, we had an amazing piece of luck. Maybe we deserved it after losing Diddley just a few months before. I could see Bobby was restless. Suddenly, he had time on his hands. Suddenly, the worries of Diddley’s illness had subsided. Suddenly, he had freedom thrust upon him. A freedom to do what he liked. Amazingly he found that Diddley had two bank accounts. One, he knew about. The other, the bank told him about. The other was a funeral fund she had set up. Quite substantial. Was it to help Bobby, or maybe it was more likely she wanted a “bloody good send off”. And that’s what she got, of course. There was money left over and we took the whole family on outings, including eight of us to the Nutcracker at the Royal Opera House at Christmas. A matinee, that included four granddaughters. All in Diddley’s memory. (more…)
If the Invader Comes
“If the Invader Comes”
This story is based on fact.
It’s 1940 in our imagination and we ask you to accept that, for the sake of the story, we have changed the real date by four years. Bobby was born on 26 January 1944, near the end of the war. That date is now 26 January 1940 at the beginning. A time when no-one had any idea what the future held: (more…)
S I D (Self Isolation Day)
S I D
We started a story called “What if”. It’s still relevant and follows later. But, as we all know, the situation is changing so rapidly that by the time this is posted it will have completely changed again. So we are posting an exceptional mid week blog.
Today, Monday 16 March, is SID (Self Isolation Day) at Laurel Cottage. Waking up to the sunshine of a world in turmoil. Bobby himself with “elderly and heart condition” qualifications to choose to self isolate. During that first hour we walked round the cottage taking pictures. No idea why, but it seemed a good idea.
Eamonn’s Day Out at Wisley!
Eamonn’s Day Out!
Bertie: “Wisley! You must be bleedin joking! It’s taters. Anyway, I thought we agreed that Friday was the one day you rested. You worked all day for the National Trust yesterday. I’m not going.”
Bobby: “Fine. I’ll take Eamonn instead!”
Enjoying a Cotswolds Daydream
Cotswolds Daydream
Last year the sun shone and we “reveried” in it. This year the sun went as soon as it came. The black clouds gathered. And the weather forecast got more and more alarming.
We had left the Surrey Hills slightly battered by Storm Ciara. Only to find that a much bigger Storm was looming. Storm Dennis was to prove catastrophic for many areas of Britain, including low lying areas of Surrey close to rivers. We escaped the worst and avoided Swift’s Hill on its designated day. 15 February. Climbing it the day before, on Valentines Day. It was still lovely in the Cotswolds as we relaxed in the Frocester George once again.
