Richmond on the Thames

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I’ve been to many places

I’ve often lived abroad

But if I could choose

a special place

I’d live on Richmond Hill.

Property‘s expensive

Which makes it just a dream

But I have lived quite near to here

And know it very well.

Richmond can be stunning

It’s got some splendid views.

Yet it’s near to London

And all you can find there.

If you’ve seen Ted Lasso

Perhaps you’ll know the place?

It’s really nice on Richmond Green

Where you can take a stroll.

Or walk along the river

For yet more pleasant views

Or head back to the High Street

Where there are decent shops.

If you tire of townscape

Then head for Richmond Park

It’s eight miles round

Green rolling hills

And herds of roaming deer.

Just across the river

If you‘re into sport

The national rugby stadium

And Harlequins as well.

Harlequins my favourite team

I’d love to be near them

And all the pubs and restaurants

We’d have to visit them.

If you like to travel

Heathrow’s not too far

Be on a plane to anywhere

I couldn’t ask for more.

‘Where London meets the Countryside’

Is how they bill themselves.

I couldn’t ask for too much more

A splendid place to live.

A wedding ring for three days lost.

What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever found (and kept)?

Not all we have is ours to keep

Not all we seek is lost.

I had lost my wedding ring

And I was in distress.

The worst place I could lose it

On our allotment plot.

What was worse a bonfire

Burning lots of wood.

Must have pulled the ring right off

With my gardening glove.

The chances of me finding it

Really not a lot!

I poked around on that rough ground

But didn’t seem much hope

I guess it came too easily off

Because my hands were cold.

I did my best to find the thing

But there was not a chance.

Too many places I had been

Gathering up the wood.

So I went home to tell my wife

Who wasn’t pleased with me.

She should have been more angry

But I guess is used to me.

The ring was lost for three full days.

I thought it really gone.

We had given up on it

Were feeling quite forlorn.

But three days later we went back

To tidy up the fire

And raking up the ashes

Were amazed to find it there.

It had changed its character

Tempered in the fire.

But somehow it’s more precious

And I love it better now.

The gold looks slightly pitted

But I don’t mind at all.

For what was lost has now been found

Has character – is cool.

It feels to me a different ring

More special still to me.

Somehow it’s more magical.

A really special thing.

Lucky prompts became routine…..

What part of your routine do you always try to skip if you can?

A convoluted question

I don’t have much routine.

If I tried to skip a bit

There’d be none left at all.

I sometimes think I’d like to skip

this silly Daily Prompt.

I only really keep it up

because I’m on a streak.

It’s normally stuff you need to do

You make into a habit.

If it’s something you can skip

Then why not simply scrub it?

There’s things I should do that I skip

But then they’re not routine.

I should warm up for exercise

But skip it all the time.

We like prompts to inspire us

And not to put us off.

Its lucky this became routine

Or I’d have had enough.

Routine can be boring

The same stuff all the time.

Luckily my times my own

I skip it all the time.

Our babysitter‘s husband

Who is the most famous or infamous person you have ever met?

Here’s a funny story

That happened once to us.

A friend came round to mind the kids

As we were going out.

A baby sitting circle

So we just knew her a bit.

We offered her a video

To watch while we were out.

Four Weddings and a Funeral

We thought a quite good choice.

But she pointed out her husband Ken

Was actually in the cast.

Ken Drury

He played the Scottish vicar.

He gets these Scottish parts.

He was in Fools and Horses

Has been the Tango man.

I think it was his breakthrough

Till then just smaller parts.

We were quite embarrassed

But I think it made her laugh.

The Royal Princes – William and Harry

Who is the most famous or infamous person you have ever met?

We had two royal princes

Sandbagging our road.

It happened some eight years ago

In the Datchet floods.

The floods were very bad that year

The Thames had burst its banks.

We were in the news each day

A river through our streets.

Among the worst affected

We had water in the house

There were sandbags by the river

But they weren’t helping us

The water off the golf course

Came up the railway track.

That’s another story

I‘ve told it all at length

But on that day the brothers came

To give our street some help.

This is William and Harry

Up the end our road.

I got to throw them sandbags

Spoke, shook William‘s hand.

They were two different brothers

Though they got on back then.

William quietly on his own

Harry with the men.

Harry with the soldiers

And loved to be with them.

A weight on William‘s shoulders

He‘ll be our future King.

Of course there was an entourage

For soon the press arrived

William was not happy

To see the press gang there.

The snaps are of them resting

But the brothers really worked.

Stood in line with soldiers.

Passed sandbags down the line.

There must be reasons ….

What is good about having a pet?

Reasons I should get a pet?

I’ll have to think of some.

There must be reasons to love pets

Though currently I’ve none.

I mostly like my garden birds

Or wildlife in the woods

I’ve not been keen on having pets

Though people think I should.

You could say for companionship

But I’ve a wife for that.

If I feel affectionate

I’ll just give her a pat.

Love them twirling round your feet?

My grandkids can do that.

And they won’t jump up at me

Or pester to go out.

Pets are pleased to see you

Dogs bark and wag their tail.

But then they will jump up at you

So that for me‘s a fail.

Maybe I should get a cat

To purr sat on my lap.

You soon get used to being scratched

I’m sure I would love that.

I’ll maybe get a hamster

To run round on a wheel

Remind me why I run outside

Abhor the gym treadmill.

Perhaps I’d like a goldfish

Their memories are short.

I’d forget my reservations

Be easier than I thought.

But pets teach you commitment

You have to think of them.

So think before you travel

And stay at home again.

They give you great excuses

For nipping off back home.

Cut short boring visits

Good God is that the time?

You bond with other owners

Each with a plastic bag

Carrying their poo about

A merry little band.

You’ll say you prefer your animals

To people every time

And if we don’t think the same

You’ll claim we‘re inhumane.

Well I’m a people person

I like them better than pets.

There must be reasons to own them

That somehow I don’t get.

It was dental implants – they cost me such a lot!

Name the most expensive personal item you’ve ever purchased (not your home or car).

I’ve pondered this a little more

And now I’ve come to see

It was actually these front teeth of mine

That cost the most money.

Sadly they got to a stage

I’d have to have them out.

The choice would then be dentures

Or splash out for implants.

But I’ve an awful gag response

You touch the roof my mouth

I will gag and start to choke

So dentures will not work.

You can’t get dental implants

On the NHS.

So that would mean me splashing out

And risking private work.

I couldn’t fault the dentist

My teeth were excellent work

But I’d need an anaesthetic

When it came to pay the price!

They were most attentive

You couldn’t ask for more.

Thankfully we had the cash

It didn’t leave us poor.

But thank God for the NHS

I’m glad it’s always there.

We aren’t scared of getting sick.

Our safety net is there.

I have a kind of ceiling

Name the most expensive personal item you’ve ever purchased (not your home or car).

My most expensive item?

I really couldn’t say.

I have a kind of ceiling

Pay more and I wince.

But once you’ve paid

You own the thing.

Forget about the price.

I hate the throwaway culture

It’s not worth buying cheap.

I’ve had to learn to pay a bit more

And buy stuff that will keep.

I couldn’t name one item

But I’ll swallow and pay out

For a good pair of running shoes

Or decent walking boots.

I cannot do extravagance

I am not built that way.

A weather proof coat

A jacket or two

But nothing overpriced.

My wife will make me buy things

That’ll have me screw up my face

But she’s always right I pay the price

End up with decent things.

She will always read reviews

And always wants the best.

It’s a false economy

To buy what doesn’t work.

She’s a master shopper

Will buy at the best price

I buy more on impulse

And with a screwed up face.

Michael Moseley’s ‘Just One Thing’.

What podcasts are you listening to?

I don’t do podcasts overmuch

but there’s one that does stick out.

Michael Moseley’s ‘Just One Thing’

I listened to a lot.

Each episode focused on a single thing

That could improve your health.

Perhaps it would be breathing

Or how you exercise.

It might be picking up new skills

To activate your mind

Or simply changing when you eat

Perhaps a 5-2 fast.

Always entertaining,

informative as well.

Dr. Michael Moseley

With tips for staying well.

Sad to say he died this year.

On holiday in Greece

Overcome, so it would seem,

by unaccustomed heat.

The Podcast may continue

To be picked up by his wife

but, like a friend to many of us,

The doctor will be missed.

English was my first love

What was your favourite subject in school?

At school my favourite subject

was English, no surprise

But later social sciences

opened up my eyes.

I was slow to learn to read

But caught up once I did.

I loved books read voraciously

And passed eleven plus.

My first love writing stories

And getting teachers’ praise.

Later English Literature

And learning from the greats.

I struggled with mathematics,

Science, Languages

But got on with History, English

Loved to work with words.

From school I worked in libraries

Studied, worked with books.

Mostly the outside of them

And how they went on shelves.

I vowed I’d work in my own time

To earn my first degree.

So I’m an O.U. graduate

My university.

And as an adult learner

I changed my learning tack:

Politics, Social Science

and different stuff like that.

I don’t love sociology

I found that all too dry.

But learning how society works

I really loved all that.

But getting back to school days.

It was English all the way.

It helped grow in confidence.

There’s not much more to say.