118 118

Well now Blog, there’s a turn up. Tonight whilst out for my trudge I was hailed for the first time in  yonks, nay yonks squared … certainly since I have been writing to you. Not many years ago it used to be a common occurrence. What you ask?. Well on my first circuit of the park, which incidentally was stacked out with those ordinary type persons, I passed a group of girls, about 13 or 14ish. Giggles and whispers. Well I don’t have a fly in my shorts so I didn’t have my zip undone, a not uncommon happening when I had to work for a living, believe it or not Blog!!! So why the bashfulness. My athletic body? Blog I kid you not!! My running style a la Sebastian Coe? Blog I kid you not! My flowing locks streaming out behind me in the cooling breeze? I kid you not Blog! I continued my trudge … and on my second lap of the park, said group was still in situ, as they say in Rome. Giggle, giggle, nudge, nudge, wink, wink ….. and then it comes out ‘Go on 118!’ So there you have it, as the Queen might say. When the 118 118 advertisement  on the TV was first aired, I was continually having to put up with the ‘118’ comments, mildly annoying at times especially when I was knackered from a long run and it was too much of an effort to raise a single digit, but nothing I couldn’t cope with. Some of the lads down the club bought me an ‘England’ running vest with the number ‘118’ which I didn’t mind, as they were being sold at the time to raise funds for some charity or other. But, as I said to you Blog at the start of my letter, it is a long, long time since the call last went out!!!!!!!! I wonder if the ad is still aired on TV as much as it used to be. Presumably if the girls have suddenly caught on …….. or perhaps I hadn’t seen the mushrooms growing nearby where they were sitting???

   Ten days ago the swallows finally arrived and on Tuesday, the swifts appeared … but not a sign of the house martins. And more curious, where have my pheasants gone. Since the end of February, a single visitor on a single occasion. One! Only one!! For a couple of decades now, upwards of a dozen pheasants have visited daily, males and females. Now none. Blog, I don’t get it. There hasn’t been a local shoot for ages as far as I know. It is pretty obvious when a shoot does takes place because of the blasted noise and the beaters traipsing across the nearby fields. I haven’t seen many foxes around; if the number of bunnies in my vegetable garden is indicative of fox population, there ain’t none cos I’ve got lots and lots of bunnies …. and not too many unnibbled greens!!! And I don’t think the badgers are interested in pheasants? Perhaps the local butcher has a contact in the Chinese mafia or in the Italian triads who have contracts with the restaurant trade??? My red legged partridges are back, I am pleased to confirm; I was getting a bit worried as they are late appearing from their winter holidays this year. I expect they will bring the kids round to see me on a brief visit as per usual when they are strong enough. My blue tits have flown as have my great tits .. and the wood pigeons are so randy that you don’t want to know about their antics Blog. Quite embarrassing. Makes me blush it does.

Must finish now Blog, if I want to catch the evening post … will conclude tomorrow.

                                                                   Colin