Backblog week 1

Scarborough (Sunday 08/09/2013)

A sunny day with a fresh breeze, archetypal Scarborough, encouraged us to stroll along the North Bay promenade, take in a coffee, ride the tramway up to town, stroll back through the shops to the seaside, then climb steeply up to the castle where the car awaited for the drive home.

Ayckbourn (Saturday 07/09/2013)

A trip to the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough to see ‘Arrivals and Departures’ written and directed by the renowned Alan Ayckbourn; played out in the round with no scenery and minimal props the play begins as a comedy, but becomes more thought-provoking as the main two characters, on the surface so different, share with us flashbacks from their earlier lives that shows their emotional journeys give them common ground after all.

Bus-trip (Friday 06/09/2013)

The village bus service to Darlington was discontinued some time ago due to council cuts but after much lobbying and effort from the ward councillor a partial service has been re-established with two journeys (actually three there but bizarrely only two back) three days a week; I gave it my support to facilitate a visit to the bank, even more necessary once I paid the return fare of £6.20, and was rewarded with a high speed white knuckle ride through the infamous flash flooded roads that permeate the area after any sustained period of rain.

Tax (Thursday 05/09/2013)

After many years under PAYE my multiple, if minor, streams of income now combine to require completion of a tax return to HMRC and today I bite the bullet and plod meticulously through the relevant pages, sourcing evidence of the pittances of interest received from the villainous banks (could I invest wiser?) and the various charity aid donations (am I giving enough?) along with the more meaty P45s and P60s (what did I do with all that money?); the outcome will be a bit of a tax bill, but less than I previously estimated, so overall a bit of a winner.

Audit (Wednesday 04/09/2013)

Back to the (once) day job with a leisurely check of the annual accounts of a local group of singers whose business model is a worthy one of collecting subscriptions from the members to fund rehearsals then putting on concerts, the proceeds of which go not to the group but to support a range of charities; as I can’t sing in tune the least I can do is correct the accounts for the 1p error.

Certificates (Tuesday 03/09/2013)

Mt five-year-old car received its MOT certificate without drama which enabled me to drive on to Stockton Riverside College to, amongst a general catch up with old (by which I mean former) colleagues, enquire about my SAGE level 1 accounting exam result; just arrived was my certificate from the International Association of Bookkeepers to confirm not just a pass but a ‘distinction with commendation’ – it’s nice to know I can still do the basics after 30+ years’ experience and 1 year out of the job.

Schooldays (Monday 02/09/2013)

The new academic year starts with my wife returning for a PD day at the primary school and son due to start back tomorrow for his final, GCSE, year at secondary; for me it means a return to solitary Mondays to Fridays (but not Wednesdays) to plough my lonely furrow through housework, DIY, gardening, shopping, and home-management bureaucracy, with the occasional break to stroke a cat, read a book or post a blog over a cup of tea and a biscuit.

Mongolia (Sunday 01/09/2013)

The wonder of Skype makes elder daughter’s move to teach in Mongolia not such a worry and today we got a guided tour of her apartment (from all sort of odd angles as the laptop was carted around) and was able to chat and see she was fine and enjoying the excitement and novelty of the newly arrived.