Monday 27 July 2009

Holiday Time

Well, we had no internet at home last week again after we had torrential rain. I did some research before we lost it to find out about the BT complaints system, and found some very useful information (and 7 loooong pages of complaints). I phoned a "magic number" and actually spoke to someone who is now dealing efficiently with our case and not just talked us round in circles and passed us on to BT India . . . The long and the short of it is we are now a "priority case" and BT will keep working on our line until it is repaired, even on Sunday. Did the BT man turn up on Sunday . . . . well, no actually! My kids are on the case though! We have been told that the work sheduled to be done on 13th July was logged in as carried out, but of course, we know otherwise. . . heads are apparently going to roll.

Anyway, Keith and I are currently on holiday, house-sitting for friends in the New Forest. We are thoroughly relaxing and had planned to do nothing today, which is just as well as it is pouring with rain. Once we've been out to feed and check the horses we are going to tootle into Ringwood and have a wander round the shops and get the papers.

Yesterday we went to a Viking (well, multi-period really) re-enactment at Cranborne. It is a site which was originally established about 25 years ago and they have built a big Iron Age roundhouse, a Grubenhousen (sp?) or SFB as we called them at Uni - a Sunken Featured Building, a wonderful huge turf-covered roundhouse, and are working on a viking longhouse now. There were various people about the site giving demonstrations of various crafts - net-making, tablet weaving, drop spindle spinning, a couple of pole-lathes, and a group of people making chestnut shingles for the roof of the longhouse. Lots of battle re-enactments, authentic dress and cooking pots in use etc etc and an excellent day out, much-enjoyed. We know that our son would be very interested in this, but his nearest re-enactment group? Winchester. Ummm - a bit of a journey from Carmarthen!

On our way down to Hampshire, we went to visit GTM (here is a link to her excellent blog A Life Full of Blessings). We had a lovely time and had a guided tour of the "Doll's House" where she lives, and then were shown around the village and church. Some beautiful architecture and buildings, and my husband was led along by the twins, who grasped his hands and showed him round! It is so lovely to meet up properly with people you have known for a while through blogs and forums, made friends with, written to and spoken to on the phone. It's not like meeting them properly for the first time, but more like carrying on a conversation! I have also met Rowan several times this year as we can call when on our way to meet our eldest daughter up in Sheffield. I have met people on-line who share my interests and passions and whom I would probably never have known existed without the internet and I am truly grateful that I have met them. Where we are staying now is the house of an internet friend!

I have brought some of my waist-high pile of books-to-read with me, so I had better get stuck in once we have sorted the ponies out. Sorry there are no photos - they will have to wait until I get home next week.

Morning's Minion - now you know why you've not had updates from me!

6 comments:

Morning's Minion said...

I had a feeling that BT had let you down again! I got two posts up on a late evening with husband away, quite a few activities this weekend which are blog fodder.
I was bashing my brain to think where the New Forest might be--Hampshire helps me to place it. I had to look up Sheffield and it wasn't quite where I imagined.
I think that blogging, as you mention, has resulted in long distance friendships which couldn't happen otherwise--I feel that if I could meet in person with some of my blog mates we could just sit down with a cup of tea and talk as happily as if we had known each other for years.
I hope the rain lets up so that you can enjoy some outdoor ventures.

Bovey Belle said...

Well, it gets worse as BT have just told my daughter that is will be the end of August before they fix the line so no broadband till then. They are going to get a phone call from me tomorrow and wish they had NEVER heard my name before . . .

Maggie Christie said...

If it's any consolation, we had similar trouble with BT, but they did eventually come (three vans, five men) and they DID fix it! Good luck with yours.

Have a lovely time in the beautiful New Forest - I'll look forward to the pictures.

And I've tagged you on my blog.

Anonymous said...

Hi,
hope you are enjoying your holiday,
I will give you a ring before we set of on the 9th, we are leaving the fest on the 13th heading over to Dinas Island so i guess a meet up in the following week? hae fun
Anne

Bovey Belle said...

Maggie - I have been trawling various BT complaints pages and found what I hope was the magic number I found last week that got things going again. Fingers crossed. This is driving me MAD!

Anne - Look forward to your call and to meeting up with you all. Hope the weather improves for your holiday!

Rowan said...

Hope you are enjoying the New Forest in spite of the rain - wish I could have come to the re-enactment with you, nearly all that kind of thing seems to happen in the souithern half of the country so I rarely get to them. When I am in the south either I've just missed them or they on the week after!! tophic