Despite being on holiday I still had my early root around
the Internet. This morning there was consternation on the NHS Pension Facebook
group that I follow. Someone wanted to do what I’ve done – take my pension and
reduce my working hours so that effectively I get the same money for half the
effort. However your holiday allowance is in proportion to the hours you work.
And if you only work half the hours of a full time person you only get half the
annual leave. Obviously. This has been the case for part time workers in all
walks of life for ever. Some idiot woman was kicking off about how unfair it
was and if she wasn’t going to get her full leave entitlement it wasn’t worth
her while retiring. There was quite the argument going on, and this idiot woman
couldn’t seem to realise that there wasn’t anyone posting to a random Facebook
group who could change the system for her.
We had some brekkie, and then drove down to Burley. We
parked up in the nearby woods and had a short little walk trying (and
succeeding) to find five geocaches. Again, like most New Forest woods the
paths weren’t as well marked as they might be, and again like most New Forest Geocaches
they were hidden in the most awkward of places.
As we walked we (Treacle) found a swamp. We (Treacle)
then found a stream in which the dogs had a spuddle. Sadly it didn’t so much
wash off the swamp stink as add another level to the fragrance.
And then we went into Burley for a look-see. Have you ever been to Burley?
Twenty years ago it was a very wonderful place full of all sorts of olde-worlde
witching type shops. Nowadays it’s got some of the same shops, but those that
have survived are rather tired, and there’s several shops that are closed and
empty up for sale.
Sadly the place isn’t what it was.
We had a crafty pint in the Burley Arms. Up till now I’ve
had some rather good beers in the New Forest. Unfortunately the pint of Otter
Ale I had in the Burley Arms shouldn’t have so much been served in a pint glass
as served with a knife and fork. There’s a limit to how many lumps there should
be in a pint of beer.
We came back to base, and after hosing the dogs down we sat
in the evening sunshine. I got the lap-top out, did the geo-admin for today’s
walk, and logged in to the NHS app. My GP had sent me an urgent message. I wish
he’d ring me up or send me a text or email. The NHS app online is a pain in the
glass.
Eventually I logged in to see what was so urgent… Was I (or
had I ever been) a smoker…
It was rather good to be sitting in the evening sunshine.
It was a shame that Bailey had to go walkabout. I eventually captured her in an
overgrown thicket; my legs got somewhat ripped to shreds.
Tracey boiled up a particularly good scampyun chips; it wasn’t
until I started scoffing that I realized just how hungry I was. And with dinner
gratefully devoured we sat on the patio again watching the birds and as the
darkness fell watching the bats.
The port came out, and then did the Vienetta. It was gone
eleven o’clock by the time we decided it was too late to spark up the Infinity
table.
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