Solstice 2016 didn't really happen.

I was very sad on the day of the Solstice this year - it's always been something special for me and for the last two years it's been extra special.

Two years ago, Robyn and me were sitting on the top of Box Hill, having a drink, eating chocolate cake and watching the night fall. Then by accident we saw the fireworks at Glyndebourne some 50 miles away.

It was when we knew we were in love.

Last year, with a broken back, we spent all night at Stonehenge waiting for the sun to rise between the stones. It was very, very special.

We'd wanted to go back for the winter equinox last year but I was too ill.

Right now I'm struggling and we just have too much on - we couldn't go. So it was very sad.

Then again we'd already had a busy day;

These are the cobbles of Camden Lock, under water from the rain. We went there to buy a hat for me to wear at our wedding.

We also had a wander around what is still one of my favourite places and on a wet Monday morning there weren't many people about either.

Then we took a look around all the food stalls and Robyn made me try a Turkish wrap.

Now, I don't normally like wraps but I liked this one;

Then we headed up to town to buy rings - which we thought would be easy but it wasn't and we need to get back to collect them later this week. Now that's a problem because I have a hospital appointment and another dose of chemo to look forward to!

Then we got home and realised how much we still have to do - with people arriving most days.

So no night out for us on The Solstice but we did go for a walk around historic Ankerwycke to watch night fall.

The sky was amazing;

And we watched the moon rise too - it was the night of a 'strawberry moon' also known as a 'honeymoon'.

Well it was a full moon and very pretty;

And we took a look at The Ankerwycke Yew which is between 1000 and 2000 years old;

So what did we do the next morning?

We found that the wedding music we'd carefully burnt onto both a DVD and a CD wouldn't play on a CD player so we went into Egham and did all the charity shops - we found nearly all the music that Robyn had chosen on old fashioned CD's for just under £3!

We got back home and Robyn got a reply from The Registry Office, who confirmed that the 70 days notice period expired yesterday and The Home Office hasn't done anything to stop us getting married. We are legit!

We went over to the reception venue for our appointment to go through everything with them.

Then my printer cartridge ran out - no more copies.

I should explain that when I started this Blog, I tried to get a new cable for my obsolete old laser printer but I was told it would cost almost as much as a new printer - so I bought a new printer and blogged about it.

But I kept the old cartridge - somehow it seemed wrong to throw it out.

So now I opened up the old cartridge and then using a soldering iron, burnt a hole in the empty one. Then I refilled it from the old one before I sealed it up again with duct tape.

Amazingly, when I put it back in the printer it worked. I fear it won't last for long because these days cartridges come with a chip that kills the thing when you've used up the number of copies it thinks you should be allowed to have.

Anyway, Robyn then typed up the schedule of music, printed it off and we drove in to Windsor to drop it off with the discs to The Registry office - which happened to be at exactly the time we will get married in a weeks time. We also met one of the registrars who will do our marriage for us as she arrived for another ceremony.

We got home and after a rest I cut back the grass in the front garden.

Then, in a panic, we realised that the plans we'd made about flowers weren't going to work out - so we've come up with something different to deal with that.

Wait and see, it's exciting!

Wow I'm tired out now.

Lots still to do - no wonder people do this months in advance.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

A last look around the market.

I love Camden - the very cobblestones of Camden Lock;

 

Polished smooth; first by horses hooves and steel shod cartwheels. Now by an army of tourists. And us.

 

There's a lot more designer gear now and the second hand stuff is a lot more classy than it used to be. But you can still pick up a record player;

 

 

 



I have to confess I was drawn to 'Modfather', a MOD clothes shop at the bottom of the stables. All the gear you could want and more besides.

The scooter is definitely a bit over the top for me but I did clock the cool geezer in the doorway.

This is definitely much more 'me' - understated with a very cool flame artwork.

As you can see, it's become a meeting place for men of a certain age - reliving their youth in the 1970's like me. This is mainly The Walthamstow Scooter Club, out for the day just like we were.

There's everything in Camden - here you can buy every possible item for (ouch!) body piecing;

It always seems to me that every time I come, all the stalls are different - there is a big turnover. However 'Cyberdog' has been a long term fixture - it's got loud music, dramatic lighting and some very interesting sales staff. This is the shop for clubbers and ravers - it's all fluorescent or LED stuff. So you can buy clothes that light up or belts that flash. you can glow, if that's your thing.

And then, when I was starting to collapse....it was time to go back to the real world.

 

 

 

And we promised each other we'd make it back, somehow.

 

Neil Harris

(a don't stop trill you drop production)

 

Home:  helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com

 

Contact me; neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

 

 

On Sunday, we had a day out!

If you can't go anywhere, we decided we might as well be tourists here - we went to Camden.

It's been a big part of my life....well most of my life.

When I was young it was poor and the markets were ruins really - full of hippies selling tat.

I was still in a lot of pain but my cracked ribs no longer make me scream in pain when I change gear. We left early and made it. I was even able to park free where I always used to.

And no, I'm not going to tell you where it is.

We climbed Primrose Hill which means a lot to me from when I was a student. I used to skateboard around here. It's a fabulous view even though London is a bigger, taller and  brasher place than it was all those years ago.



We were a bit unlucky; it was cloudy and overcast so it isn't the greatest photo ever. You should take a look for yourself.

Legend has it that the hill was built out of the clay dug out when they built the Regents Parks Canal.

In the foreground is the giant aviary at London Zoo. Who wouldn't love the sight of the former Post Office Tower?

At the top you could just see the remains from the Hindu festival of the colours which was a few days ago; everyone goes up to the top of that hill sooner or later.

It's magical.

We walked down to Camden Town, it's changed a lot since I was last there.

I took a route past where there used to be a famous Banksy graffiti. Sadly it's gone now - sold off by the owner of the wall. He may have made some money out of it but we are all the poorer for what he did.

I think this mural may have taken it's place although memory does play tricks;

It celebrates the areas working class history - the railway yards, the tram sheds and the coal yards. All gone now and in their place; the tourists in Camden and some of the most expensive shops in Primrose Hill and some very expensive cars too!

We spent the day roaming around the various markets of Camden Lock; which was once an old industrial complex. A collection of Tram sheds, Canal wharves and above all stables for the horses that pulled the barges and trams.

Now it's a collection of trendy markets. A very long way away from the old hippies. Nowadays it's really expensive stuff; the second hand stuff has gone.

The old clothes shops have been replaced by very expensive 'vintage' clothes shops - we had a lot of fun. Even 'Rokit' of Amsterdam has opened a branch!

Second hand is fashionable and everyone wears hats!

And now it's time for a grumpy, ill old man with a bad back and a couple of cracked ribs to mutter darkly about the good old days.

Well, even 10 years ago, Camden was a lot cheaper and a lot more edgy and cutting edge. Some of the fun has gone out of it all.

It's not even the Camden Town of Amy Winehouse who died about 4 years ago.

But it is still Camden of a sort;

 

 

Where else could you eat all the foods of the world and hear all the languages of too?

 

 

The crowds were so bad at the open air food area that I nearly fainted. But I made it back into the stables and we got seats. Robyn ate Mexican, I had a Chinese.

 

It was a real treat sitting there, marvelling as the world walked by.

 

 

I can't fit everything in so I'll finish this off tomorrow - we had fun.

 

Neil Harris

(a don't stop till you drop production)

 

Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com

 

Contact me; neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com