Expat Life with Chickenruby

Sunday, 27 September 2020

Gloucester re-imagined - Kings Square

I visited Gloucester this week whilst my car was being serviced. As a child and a teenager and most of my adult life, Gloucester has been our nearest City and with child 1 living there also, it's somewhere we still visit.

I don't like Gloucester City Centre and usually prefer to spend my time on the outskirts. But as a teen I would go to the cinema, to the left of this photo and loved nothing more than shopping in Debenhams which is to my right.

Gloucester has seen a lot of development over the years with the docks being turned into shopping, restaurants and apartments and new retail parks being established. There are quite a few empty stores/buildings in the city since the closure of BHS amongst others.

Kings Square used to have seating, water features and I remember the stepping stones over the water. It's been an ice rink, held small funfairs, markets etc, but in 2006 they drained the water after vandalism and this week it looked like this.

The plans as seen below appear to be to reintroduce the water features to the area, but I've no idea of the timescale involved.

This is what it looked like in 1979 photo used from Gloucestershire Live. I've taken my photo from the right of Debenhams department store, looking back this way.

It'll be a while before I go back into the City centre, but It'll be interesting to see how it develops and how long it takes.

Have you visited this area? Do you remember it looking like this?

Saturday, 26 September 2020

Week 39 - Out of isolation and a new normal.

My 2 week isolation was up on Tuesday. I'm going out every day with Bob, I've missed the freedom to just go out and about. I'm only shopping for essentials, as and when and my main food shop is a click and collect, which I'll do fortnightly from now on, knowing that I can use the local shop for milk, fruit, veg etc. I'm still mask wearing, hand washing and cleaning everything that comes into the house. I need to keep well to be able to travel to see Peter.

My research covid test last Tuesday came back negative, I'm happy with what I'm doing to protect myself and others, sadly many seem to think the government are just trying to control them and have little awareness that the virus is still around.

I've ventured inside a house for the first time and had someone else in mine, social distancing has been easy to maintain. I'm still arranging outdoor visits, dog walking etc, coffee on a dry day in cafes that have outdoor and covered seating.

264 Sunday I had a better sleep but again with the help of meds. Had a whole day of doing nothing (apart from the ironing) I read, watched TV, wrote letters, sat in the garden and had an afternoon nap.

265 Monday Finalised my shopping list for tomorrow. My plan is to get everything in one go while I'm in Gloucester tomorrow as my car won't be ready till late afternoon. Another day of doing not a lot other than some more work on restoring my old dolls house.

266 Tuesday Out of isolation and off to Tewkesbury to get my car serviced. Caught the train to Gloucester as the car won't be ready till 3pm. It was a 25 minute walk to the station. The first time I've been into a UK city since pre lockdown. I had planned to visit child 1 for a garden visit and chat to the staff about coming out for a walk with us, but visits to care homes have been stopped again. It was actually a pleasant trip and I wore my mask the whole day, even outside due to a minority of idiots not social distancing. Am pleased to hear store staff are now required to wear masks as many weren't and were too close to customers.

267 Wednesday Dropped some stuff off with a friend then onto spend the day with Child 2, 2a and 2b. This is the first time I've been in someone else's house. I got home at 9pm ish and went straight to bed, the cat was very shouty when I got home. I'd taken Bob with me for the day.

268 Thursday I slept 10 hours, straight. I'm out and about from now on with Bob regardless of the weather. We walked into town, I started off with a take away coffee, but moved indoors due to a sudden down pour The rest of the day was spent watching TV, blogging, tidying things away and general nothiningness.

Malvern Priory.

269 Friday Bob and I walked to the retail park, got a coffee but sat outside, Bob whined the whole time, he thinks if we're out we should be walking non stop. I cleaned downstairs and scrubbed the kitchen floor. Chips and wine with my friend Debbie, indoors.

Trying on his new Christmas jumper.

270 Saturday I didn't sleep well, think it was the chips. Had a bath and a relaxed morning.

On the blog this week:

My Sunday Photo - Ain Dubai, the worlds tallest ferris wheel

Friday, 25 September 2020

25th - 27th September - Post Comment Love

There have been some great posts linked up with Post Comment Love #PoCoLo from fellow bloggers from childcare, sewing patterns, fashion tips and many other subjects during lockdown and I've really enjoyed connecting with a wider blogging community.

I finished my 2 week isolation this week and had 2 full days out with getting my car serviced and visiting our grandchild, the weather has turned now after 2 glorious weeks and Covid has scuppered by plans for going away this weekend with parts of South Wales going into local lockdown.

All the outside jobs have been down now, but I do need to find someone with ladders that can fix the guttering as the rain is just pouring down the external walls.

Having a few days off now before I start re painting the internal doors that my husband had to adjust for the new carpets and I've been renovating my old childhood dolls house, which also needs painting now.

Stephanie and I would love you to link up a post you've written this week with us at Post Comment Love #PoCoLo

Sunday, 20 September 2020

Ain Dubai - World's tallest Ferris wheel.

Underneath the Dubai Eye - The World's tallest Ferris wheel which stands at 250 meters high. The London Eye is 135 meters.

The land where I'm standing was being built in the sea in January 2013 when I first visited Dubai. You can see the photo's of the Bluewater Island and the Dubai Eye or Ain Dubai to give it, it's correct name.

There were 4 pods on when I visited in August, my husband informed me last week more pods have been added. It'll be interesting to see how much it has changed and whether it's open when I go back in November. It was supposed to be opened in time for Expo 2020, however that has been postponed till next year.

Week 38 One Daily Positive - Painting sheds and a dolls house

Getting no more than 4 hours sleep a night, but it's really not enough for me and I'm unable to exercise due to isolating, I'm finding myself just eating and dozing on the sofa during the day. I needed the first few days to recover from the flight and the jet lag, but I need to kick my arse into gear now and get motivated.

We Iive next door but one to a large primary School. it's been nice hearing them out in the play ground. Mary told me she has to wear a mask on the school run due to the size of the drop off area. I've been surprised to see no masks being worn outside our school. I'm really not looking forward to being out and about next week. I have to have my car serviced soon and will be spending the day in Gloucester, apart from stopping for a take out coffee, I will be wearing my mask outdoors as well as in the shops.

257 Sunday Up early and sat blogging, replying to comments and catching up with comments from the linkies. Put the washing machine on, got dressed and spent the day in the garden, some weeding, lawn edging and painting the shed, swopping between jobs. I cooked myself a roast dinner which I ate around 3pm with green beans I grew myself.

258 Monday Arranged a zoom call with Age Concern who I'll be volunteering with once I'm out of isolation. Chased up a refund from a private covid test that couldn't give Peter an appointment within his required timescale for returning to Dubai. Still chasing the shipping company for a date so I can finalise flights and house sitters for my return to Dubai and confirmed my attendance at the night Golf in Dubai in November. Also ordered a few things online for the house and stuff to take back to Dubai for Peter for Christmas that I was unable to source out there. Started painting the shed.

259 Tuesday Finished the first coat on the big shed, Peter replaced panels on his last visit, the wood just absorbed the paint, it says 'one coat' but it'll have to be two. I took my covid test to the nearest, approved post box. Bob was so excited to go for a walk. Sadly an encounter with 3 teens from the local school and their refusal to social distanced resulted in me being told to 'go fuck myself' The afternoon was spent gardening and edging the back lawn. it looks so much better.

260 Wednesday Started the day washing and ironing, painted the gate posts and panels and the first coat on the small shed as well as the inside of the big shed. Finally my door from Wickes was collected, it's been sitting in the hall way since the end of July. Food shop arrived. I'm still washing everything that comes into the house, that way I can relax and carry on as normal within my home. I finished edging the front lawn. turned cold really quickly this evening, so I had an early bath, dinner and watched TV. Bob has missed his walks, but is happy playing and sunbathing in the garden.

261 Thursday Second coat of paint on the shed. I cleared my shed out and created a little area where I can sit if it rains. A few DIY jobs to fix the bike store so they're secure. Tidied everything away, did some batch cooking for the freezer and made some cakes, spent the evening online with the TV on in the back ground.

262 Friday Slept for 8 hours, I did take half a valium though. Feel much better mentally, but physically my chronic pain is letting me know I've over done it with the painting and gardening during isolation. Finished tidying up the loft bedrooms, ready for painting. Started renovations on my old dolls house, wrote 30 letters for #postcardsofkindness, had chips and wine as usual.

263 Saturday Didn't sleep well and battled with a migraine all day, managed to mow the lawns and did a bit more work to the dolls house. I feel like the cat looks today.