Hi there

Well Christmas over ..and a Happy New Year ...into 2009.

On the last couple of days of December Paula and I used the last of out tesco days out tokens on a trip - not far- to Basingstoke's very own Milestones Museum.

Well worth a visit...we used the restraunt too..and the gift shop...and a good photographic expierence ( www.flickr.com/photois/colinbp ) was had by us both.

The day before we travelled 18 miles to Birdworld and to our suprise and delight it was fully open and so we did a quick look around Underwater World too! (Usually it's on winter hours with not much open).

I got some good pics here too especially 3 different toucans and one of the new arrivals in the ground hornbills-fascinating birds -termed "vunerable" due to poisoning , loss of 70% natural habitate and prey, trapping and being shot for attacking reflectoins by breaking windows. i went via http://www.birdworld.co.uk/ site to a ground hornbill conservation site which was very informative. they are slow breeders and the conservation group are helping as well as zoos breeding programmes round the world.

This week saw my return to the Shaw Trust Horticulture garden project as a volunteer which i enjoyed.

Christmas saw Paula's gifts of a Lindo travelling guitar and semi accoustic guitar -so that should help me find a little light music with John , Richard, Livvie and Natalie.

In the New year i have been scanning a scrapbook my great grandfather put together in 1932 and added to in 1950's with cuttings from local newspapers in the Alperton/Wembley-Middx area.It includes reports of his son/my grandfather football winning suides of Wembley BOB's (Brigade old boys) also later Wembley Institute and Wembley & Harrow Posties cup winnning side. Later in the 50's he added his grandsons' / my dad and Uncles' reports of Alperton Old Boys cup winning sides. There is also a picture of the last throws of Watkins Folly/ the Legs which was on the site where the Wembley Stadiums were later built and was built to the first stage of a "larger" than Effel tower similar structure. All dimolished 100 years ago in 1908 as reported in local newspapers-proberly the Wembley Gazette.

Well see you next time in February maybe?

bfn

Colin