Cliff's latest blog posts

T‘was a cold and bitter spring April 20th 2024. We hope we’ve survived and that will all be due to the polytunnel. We had to plant broad beans there because it has been so wet and cold. Now we have sown runner beans in trays but then will move them...

Time to check? Each one either makes life  easier or means more money. Are you registered with sight loss or severe sight loaa? Blue card? Disabled Bus Pass (with carer)? Blind persons tax allowance? Assistance Allowance? Disabled persons Railcard? (Chargeable) 50% off TV Licence Local News spoken via CD or...

Spring has sprung or has it?   The only hard frost was in early January, since then it has been wet and warm, indeed very wet- even as I write this. Will there be another frost by the end of April? Outdoors the onions and garlics are doing well. The...

Seed SOWING Diary/ Rolling Calendar For the first time ever I decided to keep a document on my computer which would control what to buy (when) what to sow (when) an (where). This a copy of the document today, 23 Mar 2024. Some of these are just for fun and many...

Speaker System Controls On Friday I had set up the system for a Youtube presentation. When it was finished, embarrassingly  I couldn’t get back to direct CDs. So I needed to formalise how to change music mode easily. Four experimental sessions (and a trip to the suppliers to reset my...

The Eye Opener 2024 Update   The key change in the last few years has been the extraordinary developments in using smartphones. These comments all relate to Android systems as used on the Google PIXL. Similar features are available on Iphones.   The most important is “Select to speak” which...

VIOLINISTS and their Violins According to my AI Assistant, Gemini: “Determining the “finest” violins can be quite subjective, as various factors contribute to their excellence, including historical prestige, sound quality, playability, and personal preference. However, some violinists are known for wielding instruments considered at the absolute pinnacle of craftsmanship and...

I over stretched myself –  again It all started so easily: The Jazzxy potatoes arrived early and went on to start chitting Next  there was an offer on some potato bags, which I’d never used before When they arrived I planted the Jazzy To protect them from frost I put...

More White Sticks than I’ve seen in years At Shoreham Centre on 27 Feb 2024 A very popular event for the blind and partially sighted. We were talking to “The Supermarkets” but the most exciting speaker was from Proctor and Gamble. They have two life-changing innovations: Adding a surface pattern...

So I asked my AI Assistant, Gemini What would you include under “Classical music FUN” That’s a great question! The answer really depends on what you find “fun” in music. To help guide you, here are a few different approaches to finding fun in classical music: Upbeat and Energetic Pieces:...