Feeling Sheepish

With not feeling at all Christmassy this year, I wonder if I should get this T shirt, as it converts how I am feeling with an added sense of humour.

It, and many others are for sale on a stall in the Old Market Square's Winter Wonderland.

A Close Shave

I was up at Beauvale Priory this evening to do some rehearsals, as part of the Eastwood Festival.

I am once again going to be dressing up as a monk and giving guided tours of the former Carthusian monastery.

There was a bit of fun going on when I got there. A load of sheep had escaped as they were being rounded up for sheering. The farmhands and some of my fellow actors were running around a field and waving their arms about, in trying to get the sheep to go into a pen. I was disappointed in a way that I arrived too late to help.

So when the fun was over, we got down to some work, while the farm workers could get on with theirs.

After we had finished the rehearsal, I grabbed my OMD and was lucky enough to capture the last sheep of the night getting their regimental short back and sides for the summer.

There were quite a few sheep still to be done. But the shearer opened the pen gate and let them out. It was like a stampede as they all ran out and up the field to be out of the way.

Yes, you looking sheepish, don't worry, you have a date with the barber tomorrow.

Bunny Cuddles

Well the clocks went forward early this morning and what a difference it seems to have made to the weather. Yes it's still cold, but the sun actually shined today, and for more than ten minutes.

But we decided to stay in today and do a few jobs, instead of wandering off somewhere in the search of a photo or two. We might do that tomorrow, it being a Bank Holiday.

So what's been my task today? Well we are setting up our own studio in a spare bedroom, and yesterday, we pulled up the old carpet and underlay, and so today I have been trying to do something with the floorboards. They are in good condition, so I have been sanding the old varnish, paint and stuff off, then I am going to re-varnish them so they look quite presentable in a photograph when we start in ernest.

As we haven't been anywhere, here's a little Easter scene that I shot in the conservatory. The soft toy belongs to Gail, and the little sheep, which is actually the top of a pencil, was a present from a friend of mine who went to New Zealand on holiday a few years ago.

You might not be surprised that practically all those little chocolate Easter eggs have now been eaten!

It's All Over Now

Well it's a bit of a sad day today as I say goodbye to the friends that I have made during the time that I have worked for Ofsted; practically the past 11 and a half years.

As with every other part of the Civil Service, there has been many changes going on within the organisation to save money and streamline procedures, and so have recently found myself without a permanent position within the office, and have therefore been encouraged to look for another job elsewhere.

Fortunately the HMRC (the taxman) came across my CV and have offered me a job with them, which I take up next month. So I have two weeks off to rest and to enjoy myself, before starting my new job.

So I have spent the day deleting emails and sorting out my desk. It's surprising how much junk and paperwork one can accumulate, even though I tend to have regular sort outs.

The picture above shows some of the stuff that I have on my desk to make it a little more friendly and a bit like home. One of my co-workers has a lot more than this. In fact she has to have a crate when she moves desks!

No Pulling The Wool Over His Eyes

Today has seen the arrival of the first farmer's market of the year. To inform people about buying good, locally grown food, rather than the stuff that has been transported hundreds of miles in a refrigerated truck, a kiosk had been set up. And to help publicise this, a pen of some sheep were on display. I don't know what the breeds were, but they weren't the usual sort you find in fields.