H.M. the Queen visits Matlock but management take a dim view!

It has to be said there was a fair bit of excitement around the place last Thursday

It was the day of HM the Queens visit to Matlock although I winced as I drove to work and spotted a trail of discarded litter along side the road, wondering if it would be removed before HM arrived by train.
At work I wickedly teased a colleague, "lets call her Ashley" that she was to meet the Queen at the station which is right in front of the Fun Factory (Matlock Sainsbugs)
Her duties I informed her were to collect the Queens shopping list as she arrived and then drop off the Royal "goods" as she departed.  Ashley, not knowing that the Queen would be leaving Chatsworth by chopper rather than returning to Matlock.  Spotting that the Shop Manager, lets call him Matt, was in a relaxed mood I let him in on the deal and he played along by suggesting the store was presenting the queen with some fruit and fresh water, and that Ashley was the "chosen one"
Ashley by now is beside herself and we go through how to shake hands with the Queen and to call her HM the first time and then Maam as in Jam not Marm as in Farm.  Finally after about 45 minutes she twigs the ruse and laughs it off with the rest of us - - - good sport!

HM is arriving at 1030 and colleagues are told (it was rumoured) that to go and watch the arrival they must "Clock out" Whaaaat! Incredulity must have been the obvious look on my face as I receive this supposed fact.  I had no intention of going to attend the arrival although I was encouraging the younger colleagues to do so.

At the appointed hour there was a mini rush of colleagues (without Clocking Out) to the edge of the railway station due to the shop being empty of customers and I carried on my duties.  Some time later they return beaming with pride at having seen the Queen with at least one coming out with the standard surprised statement, "isnt she tiny".  it is only some time later that I am told the Shop Manager followed everyone out and took a list of their names insisting they take the "time out" as part of their break - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ok Ok excitement over and back to reality or should that be normality? with the Express telling us how to live an extra 10 years

 And once again the Express is informing us of a "Cheap pill to beat Arthritis!"  - - - Previous headlines this year at least! have the curse beaten at least 4 or 5 times.









Closer to home

Down at the Fun Factory there have been some "challenging" goings on - - - There have been a rush of new colleagues who have had their praises sung by the Store Manager, lets call him Matt.  I attended a monthly briefing that he hijacked and the gathering was told that the newby's were a shining example of how to "assist" customers and maybe we should "step up" to their standard - - -

Down in the Bakery it was "Handbags at 5 paces" for 2 colleagues, lets call them Anon1 and Anon2.  Anon1 was flicking bits of dough, and more at Anon2 who reacted by casting a frozen bagel at Anon1 catching him on the side of the neck.  Anon1 complained to "someone" and the upshot was a rollicking for both.  The moral here? - - - if you cant take it don't dish it!

A disturbing tale next, a colleague, lets call him Anon3 is caught eating in the Bakery!!!! a heinous crime normally punishable by the sack.  However there is brushed over and somehow forgotten.  The whole thing swept under the carpet and people are sworn to secrecy  Moral here? if you want to keep something secret - - - don't tell a soul"

Finally one of those, "is it me?" moments.  We get a customer order over the phone, I take it off the shelf and put it in the bakery.

"Cant do that because its classed as a Foreign Body!" says the Bakery manager, lets call him Craig.
This is all to do with a regime which is "purging" anything not to do with the manufacturing of bread from the bakery.

 Ok I can cope with that so I put the items in the warehouse with a note which I also post a copy of in the bakery.

"Cant do that because its classed as a Foreign Body" says, - - - ok ok you get the picture!  I point out though that the bakers are using a certain suppliers bread trays to store and transport to the display area unwrapped baked items.  These bread trays and the wheels they sit on are "sometimes" less than clean!  This is ignored!?  Is it me?  I wander off realising I should not be questioning what's going on "firmly fixing my concentration on why I am there" - - - concentrate - - - concentrate!

Ah yes! that's better - - - - 

I noticed Sainsbury the tabby cat sat on top of the back porch the other day

and had a moment to quietly reflect that this was Tom's favourite spot for a bit of early morning sunbathing before it got too hot.  Strange to think though that Sainsbury has taken over almost all of Toms hangouts but will not sit on the old rocking chair where Tom breathed his last? - - -

A bit of a logging dilemma here

To move or not to move?  As I fell the trees I finish up with piles of ready cut firewood and have generally moved them up to the hard topped track with the idea that if the winter is that bad and we use all our store I could at least get some wood for the fire.  I'm fast becoming to think that as long as there's enough on the top track the rest can stay where it is - - -

 Our friend Lisa has been trying to get one of her pet sheep shorn for a while and here is Napkin minutes after having his yearly haircut. - - - he does look a little bemused by it.  The green stuff is some kind of treatment for an eye infection he picked up but he's ok now.

The garden is looking at its best although our flush of foxgloves are already going to seed

The nasturtiums have almost taken over the garden seat we us for sitting to look at the shallow end of the pond

Ever the pessimist this lovely weather cannot last much longer - - - can it? 

finally today's early morn pic from the top of the garden showing the moon under the curve of a bit of Iris foliage.  A bit of logging later methinks

Enjoy the day
Follow this link to see  our weather website

Or this one just to see  the streaming birdfeeder cam